Big Blue Slashes DB2 Web Query Prices–Again

February 6, 2012 Timothy Prickett Morgan

It sure does look like IBM wants you to stop using Query/400 or any one of a number of third-party query tools that run in conjunction with the DB2 for i relational database at the heart of the IBM i operating system.

For the second time in just a little over two years, Big Blue has taken the mighty red pen for cost-cutting and chopped it in half with a katana and then use the sword on prices for selected features in the DB2 Web Query software development kit.

Back in October 2010, IBM sliced selected DB2 Web Query license, support, and after license fees (the latter to get back onto maintenance after lapsing for a period of time) by 50 percent, which is a lot for IBM to cut any price officially and more or less permanently. In announcement letter 312-010 from January 31, IBM went completely bonkers, er generous, and cut these reduced prices by another 80 percent.

Program	Feature		Old	New	Percent
Number	Number	Description	Price	Price	Change
5660-QU4	1361	Per Server With 1 Year SWMA Renewal	$116	$23	-80.1%
5661-QU4	0392	Per Server With 1 Year After License	$2,500	$500	-80.0%
5661-QU4	0393	Per Server With 1 Year 24×7 Uplift After License	$116	$23	-80.1%
5662-QU4	0629	Per Server With 3 Year After License	$1,700	$340	-80.0%
5662-QU4	0630	Per Server With 3 Year 24×7 Uplift After License	$312	$62	-80.1%
5664-QU4	0001	Per User With 3 Year After License	$4,200	$840	-80.0%
5664-QU4	0002	Per Server With 3 Year 24×7 Uplift After License	$312	$62	-80.1%
5733-QU4	0001	Per Server With 1 Year SWMA	$5,000	$1,000	-80.0%

A license to DB2 Web Query used to cost $10,000 per server before all this price cutting started in 2010, and now you can get it for $1,000. It is hard for me to complain much about that, although I will say that IBM’s online software manual does a really terrible job describing its software programs and their features so you can figure out what it is cutting prices on.