Global CIO: Larry Ellison Will Be Crucial Witness At Oracle-SAP Trial

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison: "History and development of Oracle; Oracle business structure and management; Oracle product development information; Oracle software support; Oracle maintenance revenue; PeopleSoft acquisition; Siebel acquisition; Impact of SAP's acquisition of TN [TomorrowNow] on Oracle; Harm to Oracle; ERP software competition/market; Hypothetical license expectations; Oracle financial results"

Oracle co-president Safra Catz: ERP software market and competition; PeopleSoft acquisition; Siebel acquisition; Oracle customer relationships; Oracle financial information; Hypothetical license expectations; Oracle support organization metrics and reports"

Oracle executive Juergen Rottler: "Oracle support services and materials; Software support industry; Third-party support providers; Oracle maintenance revenue; PeopleSoft acquisition; Siebel acquisition; Impact of SAP’s acquisition of TN on Oracle; Oracle customer relationships; Oracle sales and marketing; Oracle support organization metrics and reports"

Oracle employee Buffy Ransom: "Customer Connection website; Downloading investigation; Damage/harm to Oracle's data/systems; JD Edwards products, development and support; JD Edwards copyrights; Oracle licensing practices and contracts; Copyright ownership/authorship"

Oracle employee Jason Rice: "Downloading investigation; Damage/harm to Oracle data/systems; Oracle support services; Customer Connection websites"

former SAP executive Leo Apotheker: "SAP's acquisition of TN; TN business case and projections; SAP's knowledge, oversight and direction of SAP TN's activities; Benefits of SAP TN acquisition; Safe Passage and SAP TN marketing; SAP TN geographical and product expansions; SAP and SAP TN post-litigation activities"

SAP chairman and founder Hasso Plattner: "SAP corporate history and structure; SAP's acquisition of TN"

former SAP executive Henning Kagermann: "SAP's acquisition of TN; TN business case and projections; SAP's knowledge, oversight and direction of SAP TN's activities; Benefits of TN acquisition; Safe Passage and SAP TN marketing; SAP TN geographical and product expansions; SAP/TN post-litigation activities; ERP software market; SAP TN downloading from Oracle websites"

former TomorrowNow executive Andrew Nelson: "SAP TN history and corporate structure; SAP TN business model and support services; Third party support market; SAP TN copying, modification, distribution and use of Oracle software and support materials; Oracle Database Software and SAP TN licenses; SAP TN/Customer communications; SAP TN sales practices and results; SAP’s acquisition of TN; SAP’s knowledge, oversight and direction of SAP TN’s activities; Safe Passage and SAP TN marketing; SAP TN geographical and product expansions; SAP and SAP TN post-litigation activities"

While the testimony from each of these individuals will be vital, I'm betting that the most compelling and eye-opening will come from Ellison and from Apotheker, the current CEO of HP who was a high-level executive at SAP at the time of the downloading by TomorrowNow.

Although Apotheker is no longer with SAP, since his hiring by HP he has been the target of some stinging remarks from Ellison, who in a recent email exchange with the Financial Times said that Apotheker was a top executive of SAP when it committed "industrial espionage and intellectual property theft" against Oracle.

That's why, as I outlined in an earlier column today called Global CIO: In Oracle Trial, HP Might Pay Higher Price Than SAP, SAP is not the only Oracle rival that's less than thrilled about this high-profile courtroom showdown.

That's because every moment that Apotheker has to spend preparing for his testimony or in being otherwise engaged with the litigation is one less minute he's not spending on helping HP craft its future.

And depending on Apotheker's testimony, the best HP can hope for is that shortly after the trial is over, no one really remembers anything Apotheker said.

That's not a likely outcome, but nevertheless it's the one HP is praying for.

RECOMMENDED READING: Global CIO: In Oracle Trial, HP Might Pay Higher Price Than SAP Global CIO: Are HP And SAP Perfect Match Or Train Wreck? Global CIO: An Open Letter To HP CEO Leo Apotheker Global CIO: SAP's Sweeping Turnaround: Exclusive Co-CEO Interview Global CIO: HP's $130-Billion Gamble Global CIO: Larry Ellison Puts HP In Crosshairs Via Slap At New CEO Global CIO: HP CEO Apotheker Has Deep Expertise But Checkered History Global CIO: An Open Letter To SAP Chairman Hasso Plattner Global CIO: SAP's Last Chance: It's The Customers, Stupid! Global CIO: IBM Turns Guns On Cisco With Acquisition Of Blade Network Global CIO: Oracle's Success Breeds Fear And Loathing At The New York Times Global CIO: SAP Promises Business Value Over Products: Can It Deliver? Global CIO: An Open Letter To HP CEO Leo Apotheker Global CIO: SAP Stunner: ERP Deal Boosts Customer Profit $100M Per Year Global CIO: Tibco Surges And CEO Flips Off IBM, Oracle, And SAP Global CIO: The Awesome Transformative Power Of The Apple iPad Global CIO: As HP And Oracle Brawl, IBM And SAP Snatch Customers Global CIO: SAP Confronts The Real-Time Culture Wars Global CIO: The CEO Of The Year Is SAP's Bill McDermott Global CIO: Who Is The Tech Sector's #1 Acquisition Target? Global CIO: Oracle Hammered By SAP For Stifling Customer Choice Global CIO: How SAP Is Leading The Mobile-Enterprise Revolution Bob Evans is senior VP and director of InformationWeek's Global CIO unit.

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