Oracle: Stressed IBM server partners see us as alternative

UK channel boss Will O'Brien says vendor is generally looking to consolidate current partner base

Oracle's UK channel chief believes IBM server partners may be looking to switch allegiance following Lenovo's $2.1bn (£1.3bn) acquisition of its server business.

Will O'Brien (pictured below), vice president of alliances and channel at Oracle UK, told CRN: "There are a lot of IBM partners that are feeling the stress of what is happening in the IBM server business that are maybe looking to Oracle as an alternative.

"Selectively we will augment our existing value added network", O'Brien added, but went on to say on the whole Oracle is looking to rely on the "strength of existing partnerships" and is not planning to launch a major partner recruitment drive.

"My approach to partnering is to work with the existing partners we have and reward those partners who invest in us, deepen their capabilities and encourage business partners to put the margins they are getting from our products back into their businesses," O'Brien said.

Gavin Dimmock, vice president of systems at Oracle UK, said: "Another major opportunity for Oracle is with our traditional systems partners, who resell hardware type products, and cross train and cross sell them into our core technology, and vice versa. That's definitely a growth area for us."

O'Brien agreed and said: "The market is consolidating and getting tougher but we can give them [partners] the opportunity to invest in different areas and redefine their organisation to get the best opportunity with Oracle."

This year Oracle has introduced a number of changes to its channel partner programme, including switching its partner rebates to a monthly rather than quarterly basis, setting up "boot camp" training sessions and offering improved discounts of up to an initial two per cent if customers buy multiple Oracle products.

Oracle hosted its OpenWorld convention in San Francisco last month where it proclaimed that it has created 290 new products er the past 12 months, 200 of which are in its software-as-a-service (SaaS) portfolio.

In June, Oracle claimed it was the second largest SaaS company in the world.

Looking forward, O'Brien said storage was an area of Oracle's business it is looking to expand.