Oracle: A New Value Proposition

SVP of Application Development Jesper Andersen explained how innovation is driving Oracle’s value proposition - and its acquisition strategy - in his Software 2008 keynote.

By Maryann Jones Thompson, Sand Hill Group

Jesper Andersen hasn’t watched Oracle’s aggressive acquisition strategy from the sidelines– he’s lived it. After an early career in Oracle’s development organization, Andersen became group VP of PeopleSoft’s product strategy organization and was “acquired” to become an Oracle executive again.

With more than 15 years of developing enterprise software, Andersen is well-versed in the way things were – and the way things are headed in the industry. During his keynote address at Software 2008, Andersen addressed the method behind Oracle’s acquisition madness, the unique value of his application suite and how Enterprise 2.0 will take a larger role in the company’s products in the future.

On-Demand Webinar:
The Death of the Enterprise Software Buying Cycle?

MR Rangaswami The recent webinar and interactive online panel discussion with M.R. Rangaswami, publisher of SandHill.com, Doug Harr, innovative CIO of Ingres, and executives from Intacct, LucidEra, and WebEx contained new insight about trends in buying software today. Don't miss this lively discussion: Click here to listen to an on-demand replay of the webinar.

The New Field of Master Data Managment

Master data management (MDM) is becoming a critical area of investment for many enterprises. R. Ray Wang and Rob Karel of Forrester Research share tales from early adopters of MDM strategies and their implications for enterprises and software vendors in this post to the
SandHill.com Blog on SOA.

VARs Adapt to New Realities

Some industry watchers speculated that SaaS would kill the channel. Of course, that hasn’t happened. Bruce La Fetra of Rubicon Consulting looks at what’s changed and how VARs adapted to the rapidly evolving world of enterprise software in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on channel management.

Publish Your Perspective!

SandHill.com wants your opinions. Send your thoughts on the enterprise software industry to SandHill.com editor, Maryann Jones Thompson (maryann@sandhill.com) and have your opinions published on our site.

DON’T MISS: Communicating with the Right Investors

Executives spend too much time talking with investors who don’t matter. Read this article from The McKinsey Quarterly to find out how to identify those who do.

News Update: Breaking Down Walls

Cisco goes open with Etch; plus, Google shows off its infrastructure, a whistleblower snags IBM’s deep pocket, Gates and Ballmer chat fireside and Workday signs a big deal. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

Poll: Oracle - Cunning or Crazy?

Has Oracle’s voracious appetite for acquisitions paid off so far?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers speculated on how SaaS will take over other industries.
Give us your opinion and see the results >>

More at SandHill.com:

Analysts tell Google to buy Salesforce.com.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

Persystent Technologies garnered $11.6 million in Series A financing.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

NetSuite paid $26 million for OpenAir.
Size up last week's software M&A deals >>

Michael Robichaud named CEO of Percussion Software.
See who's made it to the top in our list of recent software executive appointments.

Send us your feedback on this newsletter and the SandHill.com site.

Parting Thought

“I'll go anywhere as long as it's forward.”
—David Livingstone

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

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SandHill.com is published by Sand Hill Group, which provides investment and management advice to emerging leaders in the $600 billion enterprise software, services and solutions market. Sand Hill Group produces the Software and the Enterprise series of conferences for industry executives, and authors research reports on cutting-edge technology topics.