Oracle: We're Hiring Sales, Tech Staff

As Oracle executives laid out their integration strategy for Sun Wednesday, executives came up to the stage wearing a button proclaiming "We're Hiring." With fears of massive, cost-cutting layoffs looming over Oracle's acquisition of Sun, Oracle came out touting a message of what jobs it's hiring to fill.

Oracle President Charles Phillips said the company is hiring 2,000 salespeople, and that Oracle would have "the best paid salespeople in the business." Phillips said people selling Sun gear now could make more working for Oracle, "if they sell things. They don't make anything if they don't sell."

Phillips also made the case that Sun products would be an easier sell now, because rivals can't raise the fear of it going out of business. Oracle is moving to a more direct sales model for Sun's 1,700 top customers. "We're going to pay you more than you're making now, and you're bored with what you're doing now, anyway," Phillips said to potential salespeople. "Give us a call."

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said the company will hire 2,000 people while laying off about half that many in the near term. Executives who followed Phillips on stage talked about hiring operating system engineers to work on Solaris, and service and support engineers with background in Sun products.

Sun didn't speak directly to where it will cut jobs, but it did address some of its cost cutting plans. Oracle expects major cost savings from revamping Sun's supply chain, including closing two U.S. distribution centers as it moves to a build-to-order model, instead of build-to-stock.

It will also cut by 60% the locations in which it builds Sun products, including cutting in half the number of external manufacturers with which it works.