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What's the Oracle Trial Against SAP Really About?

Ponca City writes "Chris O'Brien writes in the Merucry News that Larry Ellison's lawsuit against bitter rival SAP gives Ellison the opportunity to deliver the final humiliation to his company's greatest foe of the past decade while sending a blunt message to Oracle's next great enemy, Hewlett-Packard: 'This is who you are fighting. This is how determined we are to win. Get ready.' O'Brien writes that it's a crafty bit of psychological warfare that is already having the desired effect. When Oracle decided to subpoena former SAP CEO Léo Apotheker after he was appointed president and CEO of HP, Apotheker decided to stay out of the country to avoid testifying so now we have the bizarre spectacle of the new CEO of the largest technology company in the world unable to show his face in Silicon Valley. Ellison loves to fight. In gaining control of PeopleSoft, Ellison demonstrated the love of combat and confrontation that has made him one of the wealthiest men on the planet. He waged an 18-month hostile takeover bid to acquire the company, and fought off an effort by the US Department of Justice to torpedo the deal. 'Oracle probably could have settled this case [with SAP],' writes O'Brien. 'But why pass up a glorious chance to subpoena Apotheker and send your new opponent running in circles?'"

2 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Beautiful... by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Simply beautiful, to have your opponent by the throat, and then get a chance to show the whole world what a scoundrel they are

    As a long-time Oracle developer, I have always wondered how they could afford to put so much information on their support site, and I was worried that the 'spying' by SAP was going to make them shut down access to the info.

    Instead we get a show, love the theater!

    --
    Wherever You Go, There You Are
  2. Re:Avoid Oracle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    In capitalism, supplier set prices based on what they think buyers will pay. If you don't like Oracle, you probably don't like America and capitalism either.