At Oracle AnalystWorld, President Mark Hurd and other executives are addressing six topics: Engineered systems, cloud computing, soclal, mobile, customer experience and Big Data/Analytics.

The VAR Guy

April 23, 2013

3 Min Read
Oracle President Mark Hurd says business is all about gaining and taking market share whether it39s traditional licensing or subscription here
Oracle President Mark Hurd says business is all about gaining and taking market share -- whether it's traditional licensing or subscription here.

Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) President Mark Hurd is addressing Oracle Analyst World 2013today  in Silicon Valley. The core theme: Simplify IT, power innovation. Oracle is expected to cover six topics at the conference: Engineered systems, cloud computing, soclal, mobile, customer experience and Big Data/Analytics. So what's in it for channel partners? Glad you asked…

The VAR Guy has infiltrated the annial conference, hosted at Oracle's headquarters, yet again. Check this live blog hourly today for multiple updates from our resident blogger.

Recap: Bob Evans, senior VP and chief communications officer

Evans spoke about the consumer-driven economy and posed some key questions:

  • Can you move as fast as the world around you?

  • Can you move as fast as your customers?

  • Can you move faster than your competitors?

  • Can you anticipate, or do you play catch-up?

  • Can you engage customers on their terms?

  • Can you fulfill their demands via the cahnnels they prefer?

  • Can you see the world through their eyes?

Great questions. No doubt, Evans and Oracle hope to make the case that Oracle can help customers and partners to fulfill the mandates above.

Evans made the case, pointing to quotes from Ellison and the late Steve Jobs, that it takes hardware and software to be engineered together. Evans noted that when you think about the software-driven user experience and then design the hardware accordingly, you can charge a big premium. 

Evans also offered a reminder: On-premise software is not a dirty word, he asserted. Oracle has invested $15 billion in R&D across cloud and on-premises systems over the past three years. Then he pointed the conversation back to the six key areas (engineered systems, cloud computing, soclal, mobile, customer experience and Big Data/Analytics).

Side note: An urban legend suggests The VAR Guy and Evans both had tours of duty at InformationWeek, the IT media brand… Evans was one of the top leaders at the brand, while The VAR Guy allegedly was a hard-charging cub reporter nearly 20 years and 30 pounds ago…

Recap: Mark Hurd, President

  • Hurd is explaining how Oracle's own engineered system drive Oracle's cloud.

  • Quick interchange with an analyst: "Those PC numbers are horrible; God."

  • Oracle organizes its salesforce by buyer. The Eloqua salesforce, for instance, calls on the Chief Marketing Officer.

  • He also called on partners to spend more time calling on HR rather than just IT. "We have to show up in HR and show them a great GUI and sexy capabilities. Then describe how it fits in the context of IT. That's the magic of Oracle."

  • "I think about WorkDay and kicking the hell out of them" he quipped about competition in the cloud and focusing on non-IT buyers.

  • Hurd goes on camera and talks about the channel. The VAR Guy captured it on camera. More details soon.

  • Oracle doen't favor traditional vs. subscription revenues: "From a behavioral perspective it's just about gaining share. Don't think we're worried about subscription vs. license. What's on my mind is see market, win market, gain share."

  • Mentioning Java security issues and some capability delays, an analyst asked about Oracle's commitment and Java initiatives. Hurd mentioned the Java security issues have been browser-based and the company remains committed to ongoing fixes. And overall, the Java business is strategic to Oracle — especially when it comes to Big Data opportunities and sensors that gather lots of data.

Stay tuned. More blog updates and perspectives from Mark Hurd coming soon…

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