Oracle Tells Partners: Time to Specialize

At Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco, Channel Chief Judson Althoff unveiled the Oracle PartnerNetwork Specialized program — which strives to connect customers with partners that have deep expertise in specific technologies and market segments. Here’s the scoop, plus a FastChat video with Althoff.

For some clues about where Oracle’s partner program is heading check out Oracle‘s home page, which effectively promotes core areas like database, middleware, applications and vertical market industries. Likewise, Oracle hopes to organize its best partners into those specialize areas, according to Althoff’s keynote at Oracle OpenWorld. The new OPN Specialized program launches Dec. 1.

Folks like ChannelWeb and PC World are weighing in with coverage. But The VAR Guy sat down with Althoff to get some quick thoughts on OPN Specialized plus Oracle’s SaaS strategy for partners. Here’s a FastChat video recapping the interview:

The Second Coming of Cisco?

Oracle’s OPN Specialized move sounds a lot like Cisco Systems’ channel moves from about two years ago, when the networking giant told partners to start specializing in such areas as security and unified communications.

No doubt, Oracle has been closely watching Cisco’s channel partner moves. In fact, some Oracle channel team members spent time at the Cisco Partner Summit back in mid-2009, The VAR Guy recalls.

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