Computerworld Oracle News

The whole enchilada: Integrated compute platforms steamroll across IT

(Steve Duplessie) — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:33:00 GMT

Vendors are rebuilding the mainframe with converged infrastructure, collapsed kit or integrated compute platforms -- whatever you want to call it. And customers are loving it.

Oracle renumbers Java patch updates, confuses users even more

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Oracle has changed the numbering of its Java security updates, prompting one expert to say, "As if Java updates weren't confusing already."

7 steps to securing Java

(Susan Perschke) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:32:00 GMT

Java, the popular OS-independent platform and programming language, runs on just about every kind of electronic device imaginable, including computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, DVDs, home security systems, automated teller machines, navigation systems, games and medical devices.

Seagate unleashes first consumer SSD; enterprise version gets blazing fast 12Gbps SAS connectivity

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:59:00 GMT

Seagate Technology today announced its new portfolio of flash-memory devices, taking the wraps off its first consumer SSD and its next generation of enterprise models.

Oracle lands $100M ERP project covering 34 colleges

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:15:00 GMT

Oracle has won a US$100 million ERP project that will replace legacy systems at 34 colleges in Washington state, in a deal that highlights the continued relevance of its PeopleSoft product as it tries to convince customers to adopt its next-generation Fusion Applications.

Gartner: Worldwide CRM revenue grew 12.5 percent in 2012

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:52:00 GMT

Global CRM (customer relationship management) revenue grew 12.5 percent last year to US$18 billion, a rate three times that of all enterprise software segments on average, as companies look to acquire more business and serve existing customers better, according to a new Gartner report.

Recently patched Java flaw already targeted in mass attacks

(Lucian Constantin) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:17:00 GMT

A recently patched Java remote code execution vulnerability is already being exploited by cybercriminals in mass attacks to infect computers with scareware, security researchers warn.

Serious flaw present in latest Java Runtime Environment for desktops and servers, researchers say

(Lucian Constantin) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:40:00 GMT

Java vulnerability hunters from Polish security research firm Security Explorations claim to have found a new vulnerability that affects the latest desktop and server versions of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

Salesforce.com launches Social.com advertising platform

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:06:00 GMT

Salesforce.com is taking steps to combine its acquisitions in social media monitoring and social advertising with its core CRM (customer relationship management) software through a new product called Social.com.

SAP and Oracle winners as software growth slows, IDC says

(Mikael Ricknäs) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:03:00 GMT

A growing interest in big data, analytics and cloud computing helped propel a weak software enterprise market last year, according to research from IDC. SAP and Oracle fared the best among the large software vendors.

Infor launches version 10x, plans IBM SmartCloud launch for its apps

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:49:00 GMT

Infor is hoping a new social collaboration tool, updated middleware and user interfaces, as well as options for cloud-based deployments, will help cement its place as one of the industry's largest ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendors after SAP and Oracle.

Java security questions answered

(Susan Perschke) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:57:00 GMT

Most of the products tested (except Windows Server 2012), use Oracle's Java in one form or another, at least for client access and also in some cases within the management interface. With numerous vulnerabilities recently discovered in Java, leading to guidance from Department of Homeland Security and others to disable it entirely, this raised some questions about usability and possibly even security of the devices tested.

Java 8 release delayed until 2014

(Paul Krill) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:35:00 GMT

The new version of standard Java was due this September, but the need for more work on security issues and Project Lambda have pushed the release date back to the first quarter of 2014

SAP's first quarter: The key questions

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:57:00 GMT

SAP will announce its first-quarter 2013 earnings on Friday, a report that will get heavy scrutiny from company watchers. Here's a look at some of the more important topics that should come up during SAP executives' conference calls with press and analysts on Friday.

Java 7 Update 21 to fix bugs, change applet warning messages

(Lucian Constantin) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:04:00 GMT

Oracle will release a new version of Java on Tuesday that will include 42 security fixes and will make changes to how Web-based Java content will be presented inside browsers.

Oracle's Mark Hurd talks Fusion Applications, customer satisfaction and SAP's HANA

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:47:00 GMT

As co-president of Oracle, Mark Hurd is tasked with selling an ever-increasing array of new software and hardware products, such as the Exadata database machine and Fusion Applications, while figuring out how to keep the company's vast installed base happy and fending off competition from the likes of SAP.

Oracle wants to be easier to work with, Mark Hurd says

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:48:00 GMT

Oracle's sales force isn't usually seen as the easiest to work with, with customers bombarded by multiple account representatives from different product areas.

Oracle-HP court battle over Itanium delayed indefinitely

(Stephen Lawson) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:41:00 GMT

Oracle and Hewlett-Packard's ongoing legal battle over software for Itanium has run into another delay, and this time there's no telling how long it will last.

Oracle rolls out new in-memory applications, scaled-down Big Data Appliance

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:56:00 GMT

Oracle is planning to release a series of applications that take advantage of in-memory computing, a move that will up the competitive ante between itself and SAP.

Group led by Microsoft, Nokia takes aim at Android with EU complaint

(Mikael RicknA$?s) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:20:00 GMT

The FairSearch coalition, whose members include Microsoft, Nokia and Oracle, has filed a complaint with the European Commission against Google and Android, saying that the company is using the OS as a Trojan horse to deceive partners and monopolize the mobile marketplace.

Oracle expands data sources for business intelligence software

(Joab Jackson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:42:00 GMT

Oracle has revised two of its business intelligence products, giving users the ability to wrest intelligence from a wider range of data sources, including spreadsheets, social media sites and Hadoop deployments.

Oracle updates Primavera project portfolio management software

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:41:00 GMT

Oracle has rolled out a series of upgrades and new features for the PPM (project portfolio management) software suite it gained through the 2008 acquisition of Primavera.

Oracle strategies to get real-world verdict at Collaborate user event

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:55:00 GMT

Oracle's sprawling annual OpenWorld conference doesn't kick off until September, but next week the Oracle user group-backed Collaborate event will be held in Denver.

Oracle brings data center fabric to Sparc systems

(Stephen Lawson) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:18:00 GMT

Oracle has extended its data center fabric to its Sparc-based Unix platforms, promising to let enterprises tie more servers and applications into the high-speed infrastructure.

Marketo IPO may spark suitors, including Salesforce.com

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:19:00 GMT

Cloud-based marketing automation vendor Marketo's plans to raise up to $75 million in an initial public offering, which were revealed this week, could influence larger companies to acquire the company, including Salesforce.com and SAP.

Epicor suit claims services firm hijacked its ERP software

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:14:00 GMT

Epicor is suing IT service provider Alternative Technology Solutions, claiming the company illegally used its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software in order to develop and sell add-ons and services, in a case that has parallels to tussles over third-party software maintenance.

Enterprise apps get social

(Bob Violino) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Combining the ad-hoc nature of social media with the more structured world of enterprise apps such as CRM is often the best of both worlds, implementers say.

With new Sparc systems, Oracle begins shift to single chip architecture

(James Niccolai) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:54:00 GMT

Oracle has announced a batch of servers based on new Sparc processors and in the process has begun an expected shift toward converging its two families of Unix servers onto a single chip architecture.

Most Java-enabled browsers vulnerable to widespread Java exploits, Websense says

(Lucian Constantin) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:23:00 GMT

Most browser installations use outdated versions of the Java plug-in that are vulnerable to at least one of several exploits used in popular Web attack toolkits, according to security vendor Websense.

Oracle buying Tekelec for network signaling software

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:39:00 GMT

Oracle is filling out its product stack for communications with the acquisition of Tekelec, which provides network signaling, policy control and subscriber data management software for mobile data networks. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the first half of this year, were not disclosed.

Oracle's storage business falters as market slows in Q4, says Gartner

(Mikael RicknA$?s) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:56:00 GMT

Oracle suffered the most as growth in the storage market continued to slow during the end of 2012. Hewlett-Packard, Dell and IBM also struggled while EMC emerged as the big winner.

Jack Gold: Has BYOD peaked?

(Jack Gold) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:33:00 GMT

Expect enterprises to start instituting stricter policies to make BYOD a more secure and cost-effective policy.

Oracle's new software, cloud revenue dropped 2 percent in Q3

(Martyn Williams) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:02:00 GMT

Oracle's total revenue dipped 1 percent and profits remained almost flat in its most recent quarter, as revenue from new software licenses and cloud services dropped by 2 percent.

Microsoft targets enterprise with Dynamics AX ERP

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:42:00 GMT

Microsoft hoped recent updates to its Dynamics AX 2012 ERP software would help it grab enterprise-level deals that would ordinarily be won by the likes of Oracle and SAP. To some degree, the strategy appears to be clicking.

Microsoft boosts Dynamics CRM with marketing, social media analysis

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:13:00 GMT

Microsoft is hoping to shove aside rivals such as Salesforce.com and Oracle in the CRM software market by linking its own Dynamics CRM application with new capabilities for marketing automation and social media analysis.

HP's Itanium secrets cost us $95 million, Oracle says

(Stephen Lawson) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:14:00 GMT

Hewlett-Packard misled IT buyers about plans to phase out its Itanium server platform and in the process stole potential sales from Oracle and other rivals, costing Oracle about US$95 million in profits, the company plans to testify in a jury trial starting next month.

HP eyes $4B damages claim in Itanium case against Oracle

(Stephen Lawson) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:35:00 GMT

Hewlett-Packard may seek damages of US$4 billion to $4.2 billion from Oracle in its lawsuit over support for Itanium server architecture.

Apple CEO Tim Cook's approval rating drops

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:07:00 GMT

Apple CEO Tim Cook's approval rating fell in the last 12 months, dropping Steve Jobs' successor to the 18th spot on an annual ranking of American chief executives.

Apple updates Mountain Lion, patches Safari

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:57:00 GMT

Apple yesterday updated OS X Mountain Lion for the first time in six months, patching 14 security vulnerabilities and addressing a host of other issues.

IDC: Big data hype still here, but maturity beckons

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:51:00 GMT

Few tech industry buzzwords have gotten as vigorous a workout as "big data," but while the hype remains plentiful, it is starting to give way to real-life successes as well as formal ways companies can develop big data strategies, according to a number of IDC analysts.

Java's security problems unlikely to be resolved soon, researchers say

(Lucian Constantin) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:18:00 GMT

Since the start of the year, hackers have been exploiting vulnerabilities in Java to carry out a string of attacks against companies including Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and Twitter, as well as home users. Oracle has made an effort to respond faster to the threats and to strengthen its Java software, but security experts say the attacks are unlikely to let up any time soon.

Oracle acquires Nimbula for hybrid cloud software

(Joab Jackson) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:00:00 GMT

With the intent of rounding out its software stack for building hybrid clouds, Oracle is acquiring Nimbula, a provider of private cloud infrastructure management software.

Oracle, Montclair State University settle lawsuit over PeopleSoft software project

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:05:00 GMT

A nearly two-year-long, ugly legal battle between Oracle and Montclair State University over a troubled PeopleSoft ERP (enterprise resource planning) project has ended in a settlement both sides are calling amicable.

Infor says push into middleware is clicking

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:49:00 GMT

Infor, the software industry's third-largest ERP vendor after SAP and Oracle, has been building out its own underlying technology platform in a bid to gain more revenue as well as provide customers with easier integration and system management. The company maintains that strategy is clicking as its ION middleware has become the fastest-growing product in the vendor's history.

Pwn2Own hacking contest winds down after paying a record $480K

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:40:00 GMT

A day after researchers hacked Chrome and Firefox at the Pwn2Own contest, Google and Mozilla patched their browsers Thursday.

Cloud computing's big debt to NASA

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

IBM's decision this week to base its cloud services on OpenStack may help establish this open source platform as the standard in enterprises.

Oracle targets Salesforce.com with Social Relationship Management tools

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:36:00 GMT

Oracle first announced its Social Relationship Management product family several months ago at OpenWorld, but has now taken steps to actually integrate the components of the product set, which it gained through a number of acquisitions over the past year.

Researchers rake in $280K at Pwn2Own hacking contest

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:32:00 GMT

Research teams Wednesday cracked Microsoft's Internet Explorer 10 (IE10), Google's Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox at the Pwn2Own hacking contest, pulling in more than $250,000 in prizes.

Oracle adds virtualization, boosts speed of Database Appliance

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:25:00 GMT

Oracle has rolled out version X3-2 of its Database Appliance for small and medium-sized businesses that it says delivers up to twice the speed and more than four times as much storage as the first edition, which was launched in 2011.

Oracle pulls Java 6 plug, but Apple likely to keep patching OS X Snow Leopard

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Apple on Monday patched Java 6 for OS X, following Oracle's lead and quashing a browser plug-in vulnerability that hackers have been exploiting.