ITWeb: "Come home to Pick" is a slogan used extensively by Pick Systems. What does it mean?
Ellison: We want VARs to be aware of Pick Systems and the technologies that we can offer them. We want them to move back to Pick.
Today when you mention Pick Systems, people usually have two questions. The first is who is Pick, I have never heard of the company. The second question: Isn't that the old closed operating system?
During the past four years many things have changed at the organisation. For example, we have opened our database, allowing VARs to take advantage of layered product tools that were not available before. Our applications are written in a native language, Pick Basic. We also use VB, C++, Linux and some Java.
ITWeb: The channel is obviously very important to you. What deals do you provide for the channel?
Ellison: Yes, our VARs are extremely important to us. Some 95% of our business is done through them and we have 40 VARs in SA. One of the key benefits is that they buy at a 40% discount.
Because they provide on-going support to their customers, we need to ensure they are fully trained on our products. The user's first call is always to the VAR; if for any reason the VAR can't assist, then Pick is called in. Some of the training we provide for VARs are in databases as well as product training. This helps them especially with trouble shooting.
ITWeb: What are some of the new technologies that Pick will use to enhance its services?
Ellison: We are using the Internet as a means to ensure our customers and VARs are provided with information regularly. One of our products, Flash Connect, is an installed application base that is easily Web-enabled. This helps us move our VARs from a character-based interface to a browser-based interface.
ITWeb: You have just signed a product certification agreement with Ardent. What does this mean for Pick?
Ellison: Ardent's Systems Builder and System Builder Plus will be fully certified by Ardent to run on Pick's D^3 product line. To explain further, it enables companies that use Systems Builder and Systems Builder Plus as their development environment to now use D^3 as their database.
ITWeb: Tell me more about Pick's D^3 database.
Ellison: The D^3 database management system is based on a multi-value data model. D^3 is an open systems solution, providing ODBC, SQL and OSFI standard capabilities. This development environment is the basis for client/server applications, data warehouses and Web-enabled databases.
D^3- and D^3-based applications run on PCs, mid-range and massively parallel computing systems. The operating system environments include Windows NT, Windows 95, AIX, Linux, Sco and other commercial Unix operating systems.
ITWeb: What can we expect from Pick in the near future?
Ellison: In order for Pick to survive, we have adopted the latest in programming and development. I believe it would take about five years for the whole development community to change to components. Many VARs will disappear because they can't keep up with this change.
However, we believe that with our help our VARs can adapt to this change, which makes application software more stable and ensures quicker modification.
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