Oracle's database boast backfires
Microsoft is accusing Oracle's CEO of twisting facts in offering $1m (£609k) to anyone who can show Oracle's database isn't at least 100 times as fast as Microsoft's database, running a specified query.
Oracle, meanwhile, claims Microsoft unfairly implied this week that it published a formal benchmark with SQL Server 7.0 database query results. For its part, Microsoft says it met the terms of Ellison's Million Dollar Challenge.
In recent filings with the Transaction Processing Performance Council, the benchmarking standards body, each company accused the other of misrepresentations. While the TPC could sanction the parties -- with an embarrassing news release or a fine of up to $10,000 -- one thing's a safe bet: no way is Ellison giving $1 million to Bill Gates.