Following the completion of the acquisition with PeopleSoft last Friday, Oracle senior executives are to outline their vision for the combined company at a special customer presentation next Tuesday, 18 January.
Oracle said the launch would cover a number of areas such as Oracle’s long-term strategy, what the merger will mean for customers and the product and customer support strategy for the combined business.
All eyes will be on Larry Ellison to see whether he can keep his triumphalism at bay after one of the most protracted and bitter takeover battles ever within the technology industry. Many had doubted whether the Oracle CEO would be able to pull off the US$10.3bn acquisition in the face of strong resistance from PeopleSoft and the close attention of the competition authorities.
Since Friday the tone on the Oracle corporate website has been one of reconciliation and welcome for its new partner. The focus has squarely been on reassuring employees, customers, shareholders and channel partners about the wisdom and benefits of the merger.
All eyes are also on the look and shape of the new entity and how it will impact the company’s strength in the vertical market. According to a new study from IDC, which defines PeopleSoft and Oracle Corp. in terms of North American vertical industry penetration, differences in vertical industry segmentation may already exist between Oracle and PeopleSoft that make this acquisition attractive for Oracle. These differences could also ultimately impact the solution set offering from Oracle, from an applications perspective, as well as impact how Oracle develops solutions for specific industries and which industries it may attempt to excel in the future.
“While the Byzantine acquisition process finally plays itself out, a current vertical dissection may answer some immediate questions regarding how these two companies compare in specific industry strengths,” said Scott Tiazkun, IDC program manager, US IT Opportunity, Healthcare. “In fact, analysing their vertical profiles may clarify certain outcomes. At the very least, the glacial pace of this acquisition has allowed for analysis of the two companies, creating a precise picture of just which vertical industries these companies have been able to penetrate.”
By Brian Skelly
