GENEVA – The second largest software company in the world and the second largest computer hardware company in the world – Oracle and Dell, respectively – are to announce the signing of a major middleware pact that will see Oracle’s 9i application server software bundled with all future Dell server and high-end computing products.
In a major deal expected to kick in today, Oracle will provide its latest database and server management infrastructure with all future high-end systems and servers manufactured by Dell.
Dell harbours major ambitions towards pushing itself higher up the high-tech value chain, moving from mere PCs to mainframes and other valuable corporate technologies, and eventually beating IBM and Hewlett-Packard on what it considers home turf. Dell began its onslaught earlier this week with its first Dell-branded printers, manufactured through an exclusive deal with Lexmark.
Oracle on the other hand has been experiencing something of a watershed in terms of demand for its latest generation 9i technology. According to Oracle’s middleware boss, Thomas Kurian, vice-president of its 9i Application Server division and former vice president in charge of e-business, some 15,000 global organisation, from corporates to government departments have subscribed to 9i Application Server. In Ireland, the Department of Agriculture is using 9i and geographic spatial technology to map all farmland and account for all cattle, whilst the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is using the technology to spatially map all of Ireland’s ocean resources.
In the 12 months to November 2002, Oracle’s 9i Application Server customer base in Europe and the Middle East grew by 69pc. Based on J2EE technology, Oracle 9i AS provides an environment for developers to create internet applications such as web services, enterprise portals, wireless and business intelligence applications on the corporate network and deploy them quickly and reliably.
In an exclusive interview with siliconrepublic.com, Kurian said: “After only one year, 15,000 organisations are using Oracle 9i AS, which is the second largest single product investment and business for Oracle. It has become the world’s fastest growing middleware technology. This is mainly due to the fact that companies want greater control over their computing environment and want to implement change and add intelligence to their business, quickly, reliably and securely.”
“Oracle and Dell Computer have joined together to sell Oracle 9i AS as an exclusive middleware solution and we will continue to work aggressively together to continue our success in the marketplace,” Kurian said.
In Ireland Dell employs about 4,000 people in the fields of computer manufacturing, service and sales, while Oracle has around 1,100 employees involved in back office applications, software development and administration.
By John Kennedy
