Oracle Launches Five Enterprise App Updates

The Redwood Shores, Calif.-based company announced the release of Siebel CRM 8, Oracle E-Business Suite 12, PeopleSoft Enterprise 9, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.12 and JD Edwards World A9.1 during its Applications Unlimited event in New York.

"We've been defying the critics," Oracle President Charles Phillips said at a launch event in New York. "Most companies in our industry would be happy to get one release out on time. We did five."

The Latest CRM

Delivered as part of Oracle's Applications Unlimited program, Siebel Customer Relationship Management includes Linux support for the first time and features an updated task-based user interface, new search abilities, expanded Web services support, and the ability to change business processes in a drag-and-drop environment in real time, according to the company.

The CRM suite also offers 10 new products and 366 enhancements that extend Oracle's investment in industry-specific CRM and enable companies to propel business growth through customer-driven business transformation, Oracle said.

"These releases are proof that Oracle is delivering on its strategy to protect and extend customers' current investments in Oracle's leading horizontal, specialty and industry suites," Phillips commented.

More Linux Support

The new versions significantly enhance product lines, Phillips said, and are expected to help accelerate user adoption, enhance business responsiveness, and deliver increased value to the enterprise. He pointed to a new task-based user interface, enterprise search capabilities, SOA (service-oriented architecture)-enabled CRM, and embedded intelligence that drives real-time insight at the moment of customer interaction .

With Siebel 8's new support for Linux, the only Oracle application that does not run on the open source operating system is JD Edwards' World.

"Oracle is providing best-in-class infrastructure technology that delivers next-generation capabilities today, and we are giving our customers the choice as to when they upgrade without having to relicense their applications. This is a first in the software industry," said Phillips.

Packaging Applications

In the past few years, Oracle has worked aggressively to acquire packaged applications and other products, said Merv Adrian, an analyst with Forrester Research and coauthor of a recent Oracle vendor study.

"We expect that Oracle will focus on additional parts of the portfolio, such as content management , security, and business intelligence," he told CRM Buyer.

These updates to the Oracle portfolio follow a promise made by CEO Larry Ellison, who said the software maker would continue developing its acquired applications and meet its road maps for next-generation releases.