Neither Oracle nor its brash leader Larry Ellison have managed to claw their way to the top of the computer software and hardware heaps by making nice with industry players over the years. Oracle has engaged in plenty of cutthroat deals and cold calculations to keep growing beyond its bread-and-butter database niche and into other arenas such as ERP, CRM, supply chain management, mobile devices, servers and more. And along the way, the company has accumulated its fair share of foes. Here’s a look at Oracle’s worst enemies.
of
HP
Oracle's relationship with HP soured shortly after it announced that it would purchase HP competitor Sun. Now that Oracle decided to pick up HP's disgraced former-CEO Mark Hurd, the relationship status has been officially upgraded to 'openly feuding.'
US Department of Justice
The DOJ is coming after Oracle with its teeth out, accusing the company of fleecing its government customers with contracts that fraudulently charge more than its standard customers.
OpenSolaris Users
In a move that surprises no one, Oracle decided that the OpenSolaris open source gravy train would stop permanently in Oracle station. In August a leaked memo showed that the company would further develop the Sun OS in a closed source fashion from now on.
Google
"Hey, Google, this is Oracle. You know how you thought it was OK to use Java in your Android platform? Well, now that we've bought Sun, we say 'I don't think so!'" Oracle is going after Google with a suit that claims the company infringes on its Java property in a case that many IP lawyers say could be a battle of the titans if it drags out for long.
IBM
Oracle and IBM have long duked it out over enterprise business and the rivalry is getting all the more intense now that Oracle is packaging up Sun hardware and servers with its software--a strategy long in the mien of IBM's playbook.
Microsoft
Like with IBM, Microsoft has long pitted itself against Oracle's database supremacy. Now that Oracle's bought Sun, Oracle Database versus SQL Server isn't the only competitive race Microsoft is worried about anymore.
SAP
Oracle’s biggest rival in the enterprise applications space, when enterprises consider ERP implementations, these are the two companies they consider. Oracle has grown out its technology through acquisitions while SAP has built its own tech from the ground up.
Salesforce.com
Cloud-based offerings are some of the scariest competitors to traditional software vendors because they change the whole business model around. That’s why cloud-based Salesforce.com’s platform poses a threat to Oracle’s applications business.
Employees of Companies Acquired by Oracle
Hear that sucking sound? That's the noise of a massive migration of employees leaving – laid off or quitting -- after their companies were acquired by Oracle. Java inventor James Gosling went so far as to say one of the reasons he quit was because Ellison is 'creepy.'
Intel Technology Provider Program
Intel Technology Provider Program (ITP) helps resellers better understand Intel products which power the technology they sell, and enables value-add services such as remote manageability or anti-theft tracking. Learn More
WindowsForDevices.com
WindowsForDevices.com is the comprehensive news site covering Windows embedded technologies. Visitors get news, technical white papers, opinion columns and extensive directories covering the products and companies in the marketplace. Click Here
10 Key Ingredients That Have Made Apple So Successful
10 Reasons RIM`s New CEO Won`t Fix the Company
Eight IT Jobs Skills That Win Six-Figure Salaries
Social Media Best Practices to Land that Dream Job
Channel Executives On The Move: 2012
Why SOPA Is Such A Big Issue
See All Slideshows
