IBM to Hire 1,000 for Database Project

International Business Machines Corp. said it will hire more than 1,000 people this year and next to develop and sell database software, as the world’s No. 1 computer maker tries to grab sales from Oracle Corp. IBM will add more than 500 employees--more than 300 software engineers and 200 salespeople--for its database unit this year and will recruit at least 500 more in 2001. The hiring plans are part of a five-year, $1-billion initiative the company began in mid-1998 and hopes will steal market share from No. 1 database-software maker Oracle. The company unveiled a new version of its main database product with improved features that analyze data better, so customers can see trends more easily and provide their suppliers with select information. IBM, based in Armonk, N.Y., now employs about 2,500 people in sales, marketing and development of database products. Robert Shimp, a senior director at Oracle, said IBM’s new developments are too little, too late to help the computer maker gain market share. Redwood City, Calif.-based Oracle holds about 40% of the $9.7-billion database market, according to the most recent figures from IDC. At No. 2, IBM’s share is less than half that size, about 18%. IBM said other versions of the software have more than 40 million users at more than 300,000 companies.