"All bets are off in terms of project development," said Rabey, a Burien-based programmer for Omega-Tav Software Inc., a Microsoft -certified software solution provider. "We don't know what's going to happen with the products. I don't know what they are going to allow us to do."

"Clients may be inclined to put their needs on hold because they want to see how the decision pans out," said Mike Hernandez, a Microsoft software trainer in Bellevue. "It's likely that things are going to change now and companies are going to wait and see what direction they go."

Hernandez said he wonders if companies will hesitate now to run employees through software-database-training programs like the type he offers as part of his independent business. He's also delaying plans to write a database-development book, unsure how things will change.

For his Microsoft-software using clients, Hernandez said the breakup could mean more confusion and less technical support.

"All I've seen Microsoft do is improve its product. Where this says this helps the customer I don't know," Hernandez said.