EnterpriseDB has hired a newbie IBM exec as chief technology officer, indicating a possible uplevelling in its strategy as an "information on demand" provider.

The three-year-old start-up has named Bob Zurek as CTO to - in EnterpriseDB's words - "help solidify its position as publisher of the World's leading Oracle-compatible database". Zurek will "work closely" with company co-founder and chief architect Denis Lussier.

Prior to joining EnterpriseDB, Zurek served briefly as director of product strategy for IBM's Information platform and solutions group, having been acquired by the Big Blue monster with data integration specialist Ascential Software in 2005. Zurek was responsible for technical strategy for IBM's Information Server on software, hardware, services, vertical industries and emerging markets.

With Ascential, which had specialized in data integration software for data warehouses, business intelligence systems, and the consolidation of business applications and management of repositories of information, Zurek was vice president of product management and advanced technologies.

EnterpriseDB's hire comes as open source database companies try to refine a value-based strategy that goes beyond being seen as a simple low-priced replacement to Oracle. Rival Ingres has been mining the appliances and business intelligence angle, in separate deals with rPath and JasperSoft.

Zurek's background suggests a move by EnterpriseDB into strategy and messaging for low-priced data warehousing, BI and integration using the Oracle-compliant EnterpriseDB database.®

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