History
Sybase was founded in 1984 by Mark Hoffman, Bob Epstein, Jane Doughty and Tom Haggin in Epstein’s Berkeley, Calif., home. Together, they set out to create a relational database management system (RDBMS), which would organize information and make it available to many computers in a network. At the time, Sybase called the database server “Sybase SQL Server”and made a deal with Microsoft to share the source code for Microsoft to remarket on the OS/2 platform as “SQL Server”. Until version 4.9, Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server were virtually identical. Due to disagreements between the two companies over revenue sharing (or lack thereof), Sybase and Microsoft decided to split the code-lines and went their own way, although the shared heritage is very evident in the Transact-SQL (T-SQL) procedural language as well as the basic process architecture. The big difference is that Sybase has a Unix heritage, while Microsoft SQL Server was adapted and optimized only for the Microsoft Windows NT operating system (vendor lock-in). Sybase continues to offer versions for Windows, several varieties of Unix, and for Linux.
Sybase suffered a major downturn in fortune in the late 1990s when Informix started outselling it by a wide margin. However, Informix was later acquired by IBM in 2001, and no longer competed as an independent company. In November 2005, a book written by a long time Informix employee was released that chronicled the battle between Sybase and Informix.
As of 2006, Oracle is the leader in the database market share by revenue, followed by IBM, and then Microsoft SQL Server.Sybase is well behind its major competitors in the enterprise database market, with 3% market share. Investment banking is one of Sybase’s largest client bases, where optimized installations of ASE and tuned procedures still provide the biggest bang for the footprint.
Following a downturn in the late 1990’s, Sybase returned to profitability under the management of John Chen in 2000, has maintained profitability since then and continues to reinvent itself with a new ‘Unwired Enterprise’ strategy. The ‘Unwired Enterprise’ vision is about allowing companies to deliver data to mobile devices in the field as well as traditional desktops, and combines technology from Sybase’s existing data management products with its new mobility products. Sybase has expanded into the mobile space through a series of acquisitions of enterprise and mobile software companies. In 2006, Sybase completed the acquisition of Mobile 365, later renamed Sybase 365, allowed Sybase to enter the mobile messaging and mobile commerce market. Sybase has maintained a strong foothold in its data management products. It makes a number of data management products including Adaptive Server Enterprise, Sybase IQ, a data analytics warehouse system, and Replication Server, a vendor-neutral data movement system that helps address ever-growing data distribution and management requirements. Sybase has a strong presence in the financial services, telecommunications, technology and government markets[citation needed].
Sybase now works with other industry leaders in infrastructure, data storage and virtualization to optimize technologies for delivery into public and virtual private cloud environments that provide greater technology availability and flexibility to Sybase customers looking to Unwire their Enterprise. Sybase is focused on enabling enterprises to more effectively manage, analyze and mobilize data.
Sybase crossed the $1 billion dollar mark in 2007, and has delivered better than expected results despite the global recession.
In May 2010, SAP announced that it would be acquiring Sybase for $5.8bn.
Timeline
* 1984: Sybase (initially called Systemware) founded by Mark Hoffman, Bob Epstein, Jane Doughty and Tom Haggin out of Epstein’s home in California.
* 1984: For a few months, Sybase (still called Systemware) shares a suite of offices with Cimtec, Inc., in Berkeley, California.
* 1988: Sybase goes into partnership with Microsoft to port SQL Server to Windows and OS/2
* 1991: Sybase goes public at a (split adjusted) price of $6.75.
* 1993: Sybase and Microsoft dissolved their partnership. Microsoft bought the Windows code base from Sybase.
* November 14, 1994: Sybase acquires Powersoft, which bought Watcom earlier that year.
* 1995: Sybase launches PowerDesigner, a modeling and metadata management solution, following its acquisition of PowerAMC.
* 1995: Renames the main product SQL Server to its current name Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) for version 11.5.
* 1995: SQL Anywhere 5 was released. It included SQL Remote, SQL Central, Transact SQL syntax, and support for the Sybase Replication Server.
* 1996: Mitchell Kertzman PowerSoft CEO, appointed CEO
* 1996: Sybase launched Sybase IQ, the first column-based analytics platform.
* 1997: Sybase’s flagship database product renamed Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)with the release of version 11.5. Microsoft began independently developing its own product after being a Sybase distributor of the product for OS/2 and NT under the name “Microsoft SQL Server” in the mid ’90s. Sybase renamed its product to “Adaptive Server Enterprise” to better distinguish itself from MS SQL Server.
* October 1998: John Chen appointed Chairman, CEO, and President.
* 1998: SQL Anywhere 6 released, with new name “Adaptive Server Anywhere” as the engine and part of the “SQL Anywhere Studio” which now included SQL Modeler (later PowerDesigner), Java introduced to the database.
* 2000: iAnywhere Solutions, Inc was founded as a subsidiary of Sybase.
* June 20, 2001: Sybase acquires New Era of Networks, an application integration company.
* February 28, 2003: Sybase acquires AvantGo.
* 2003: Sybase launches the “Unwired Enterprise” strategy.
* 2004: Sybase acquires XcelleNet, frontline device management software, to enhance its Unwired Enterprise strategy
* September 12, 2005: Sybase releases ASE 15.0.
* August 7, 2006: iAnywhere announces release of SQL Anywhere 10
* November 8, 2006: Sybase completes the purchase of Mobile 365
* February, 2008: Sybase releases Adaptive Server Enterprise, Cluster Edition, with Oracle RAC-like shared-everything clusterability, based on open architecture.
* May 2008: Sybase IQ analytics server sets a new Guinness World Record by powering the world’s largest data warehouse. Sybase also launches RAP – The Trading Edition, an analytics platform for Wall Street.
* August 2008: Sybase promotes the Sybase Unwired Platform (SUP), a platform for developing mobile applications across a heterogeneous environment.
* September 2008: Sybase 365 expands its messaging interoperability with the launch of its global Multi-media Messaging Exchange, MMX 365.
* October 2008: Sybase Canada Limited is recognized as one of Waterloo Area’s Top Employers, as announced in the Waterloo Region Record, Guelph Mercury and Cambridge Times.
* January 21, 2009: Sybase acquires mPayment solutions provider paybox.
* March 2009: Sybase and SAP partner to deliver the new SAP Business Suite software to iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and other devices.
* September 2009: Sybase and Verizon partner to manage mobility solutions for enterprises worldwide through Verizon’s Managed Mobility Solutions, which utilizes Sybase’s enterprise device management platform.
* May 12, 2010: SAP announced its intent to acquire Sybase Inc for $6 billion.
Products
Sybase’s main products include: Data Management Products
* Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) – Enterprise Class RDBMS and Column-oriented DBMS storage platform.
* Advantage Database Server (ADS) – Relational Database Management System
* Sybase Replication Server – a platform for data replication and movement between database systems, including Sybase and Oracle
Analytics Products
* Sybase IQ – a data warehousing and business intelligence RDBMS
* RAP the Trading Edition- a capital markets analytics platform
* Sybase Complex Event Processing – Optimized real-time risk and trade analytics software
Mobility Products
* SQL Anywhere – RDBMS with a small footprint designed for mobility
* Afaria – Mobile Device management and security software
* Sybase Unwired Platform (SUP) – a framework for developing mobile applications
* SMS Ad Exchange – an SMS mobile advertising service.
* GRX 365 – network performance and security
* mBanking 365 – a mobile banking product
* MMS 365 – a content delivery gateway
* MMX 365 – a messaging exchange
* Sybase 365 mCommerce Solution – an end-to-end solution for mBanking, mPayments and mRemittance
Tools
* PowerBuilder – a rapid application development (RAD) tool.
* PowerDesigner – a modeling and design tool
Subsidiaries
* Sybase 365
* Sybase iAnywhere
User groups
There are many Sybase-centric user groups around the world. The International Sybase User Group (ISUG), with members in more than 60 countries, acts as an umbrella organization for these groups, providing logistical support for user group meetings and other events.
Spatial Implementation
Sybase Inc. is partnered with The Boeing Company who develops and licenses Spatial Query Server for Sybase. Spatial Query Server spatially enables a Sybase ASE Database.
* SQS Boeing’s Spatial Query Server