Delphi Ecosystem

Decomposition

To properly analyze the current state of almost any IT-technology, you need to represent its ecosystem. The functional content of the release, non-functional quality indicators - they all do not have some "abstract" values, but are the result of the metabolism in this ecosystem.

In rough strokes, the picture is as follows. There are 4 main components:

• Embarcadero as a manufacturer
• Technology partners
• Community (+ IT experts)
• The main group of consumers - application programmers

Link analysis

These four components are related to each other. Relationships are generally defined by community and conflicts of interest. And it will be biased to place the observation point in any group and try to analyze the appropriateness of the other's behavior. Often, this approach gives rise to too emotional (and completely irrational) conclusions: “are they out of their mind?” Or “why they don’t do it, but do it?” Or “who needs all this?”

Relationships can be likened to some "rubber" threads, creating a constantly operating force aimed at the convergence of ecosystem components. However, there are centrifugal tendencies that cause mutual removal of groups and a significant imbalance, when everyone is dissatisfied with everyone, and this leads to inevitable negative consequences. Survival (at a minimum) and effective development of technology depends on the degree of health of this system, and not by eliminating a conflict of interest (which is impossible), but by finding ways to positively implement them.
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Condition and behavior

The evolution of the state through the implementation of behavior is subject to the desire to achieve a certain goal, which is different for each group. Embarcadero, like any other vendor, is interested in business development, the main resource of which is consumer activity of the main group. Pricing is complicated, but it is intuitively clear that the price should command respect in the eyes of the buyer.

The core group consisting of application programmers (the size of which correlates with the official number of 1,700,000 without “deferred demand” users) is primarily interested in a smooth, velvety and gentle migration to the next releases, even to the detriment of some fantastic features. Here, the price plays a certain (but by no means a key) downward role, which is fully covered by the classic “shares” and discounts for package purchases.

The community (+ IT experts) largely determines the image component of the product (Delphi is cool, Delphi sucks, Delhi is alive, Delphi is the second birth). Here, the problem of migration is not so much worth it, however much you want a unique and downhole functional steepness comparable to the dreams of “fly to Mars”, “clone your brain”, “enter the program code by effort of thought”. Most experts "support football", and not for a specific team. The price here does not matter at all (within reason).

Technological partners are the most difficult category due to the variation of relations with them from “symbiotic” to “parasitic”. Any more or less sensible manager for working with partners will say that at different stages of business development (+ a bunch of other factors) relationships can change dramatically. But it is possible to start off with a slightly paradoxical (for many) conclusion - some partners benefit from frequent and expensive releases full of popular, but raw functionality.

The greatest danger from the point of view of respect for dynamic equilibrium is the disregard for the interests of the neighboring cluster. But understanding the principles of the development of a system as a single organism is the first step in the right direction.