Oracle Unveils Push Plans, Partnerships

Dell to preload database software

By John Foley with Mary Hayes and Jeff Sweat

racle covered all bases in its product line at last week's Oracle OpenWorld conference in Los Angeles. The company announced push technology for its Oracle8 database, new systems-management tools for its Enterprise Manager console, and Java Database Connectivity software. It also disclosed new partnerships, including a bundling deal with Dell Computer.

Dell plans to preload Oracle database software on its PowerEdge servers customized for corporate customers. The companies are also creating a business unit for joint engineering, service, marketing, and sales.

Oracle's push technology comes via a licensing deal with Tibco Software Inc. Oracle plans to include Tibco's publish-and-subscribe messaging software with Web Application Server in the first half of 1998, and with Oracle8.1 in the second half of the year. Oracle8 can be programmed to automatically push data out to applications and databases, and Web Application Server can push data directly to end users.

Charles Phillips, an analyst with Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York, says Oracle made a wise choice. "Tibco's proven publish-and-subscribe technology has been used for Wall Street back-office trading operations for years," he says.

Oracle is also building change-management and capacity-planning tools for Enterprise Manager. Oracle says the tools, due early next year, will broaden the appeal of its database-management platform.

In other news, Fujitsu is developing a Cobol "cartridge" for We b Application Server that will let apps written in the programming language work on IP networks.

Meanwhile, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison disclosed that Apple Computer will jump on the network computer bandwagon with thin Macs. Ellison also promised to deliver NCs to schools in California.

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