IBM, Oracle Team for Mid-Market

17 April 2008

Oracle and IBM expanded their relationship to serve midsize businesses. IBM will develop, sell and implement Oracle-based enterprise application solutions developed specifically for midsize clients.

This expanded relationship will significantly extend the market reach for Oracle, and will allow IBM and its Business Partner channel to deliver industry-specific, end-to-end solutions based on Oracle Applications and IBM hardware and services. Building on the Oracle Accelerate strategy and the IBM Express Advantage program, IBM will deliver industry solutions that are packaged, priced and delivered specifically for midsized businesses.

This announcement reflects the value of combining the capabilities of IBM Global Business Services as resellers for Oracle Accelerate solutions with the relationships, skills and presence of local IBM Business Partners.

"This agreement represents an important milestone in IBM's continuing commitment to deliver targeted industry solutions to our valued midsize clients," said Brian Mitchell, Global and Americas Oracle Leader, IBM Global Business Services. "We look forward to teaming with Oracle to bring innovative business solutions to this important joint client base."

Focusing initially in the U.S. and Canada, the alliance expands the extensive relationship and a long history with Oracle's JD Edwards Enterprise One and the Oracle E-Business Suite, under which IBM and its Global Business Services division has built an industry leading Oracle portfolio. Through Oracle Accelerate, these applications are being tailored specifically for midsize companies, and will be integrated with IBM's hardware, software and services. The IBM Oracle Consulting Practice, part of IBM Global Business Services, is the largest and most skilled consulting practice for Oracle in the world. It is made up of thousands of consultants skilled in implementing virtually all Oracle product lines including the Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise and others.

As part of the agreement, IBM has made the following Oracle-based industry solutions available this year:

* IBM Express Industrial Manufacturing Solution for Oracle Accelerate provides mid-sized industrial manufacturers with highly specialized business applications including the management of products with highly variable attributes and complex supply chains. This solution is available for the United States and Canada.

* IBM Express Food and Beverage Solution for Oracle Accelerate provides mid-sized food and beverage companies with an ERP application platform that supports their need to operate in a collaborative, repetitive environment with high velocity supply chain requirements including serving third party wholesalers and retailers. This solution is available for select European countries.

Additional IBM Oracle Accelerate solutions for the Life Sciences and High Tech clients are also scheduled to be available by the end of the year.

"IBM's reach and industry expertise, coupled with Oracle's pre-configured, low-cost applications will enable our joint customers to realize a faster return on their investments and also benefit from lower up-front implementation costs," said Tony Kender, Oracle Senior Vice President, Global Accelerate Program Office. "We see this collaboration with IBM as a monumental step in our effort to provide midsize companies with enterprise-level functionality that is affordable and easy to deploy and maintain."