Configuration Support Manager utilizes configuration management capabilities available from Oracle Enterprise Manager for collecting and centralizing configuration information that enables Oracle support engineers to more rapidly diagnose and resolve customers' critical system issues and to help prevent issues before they occur. It gives customers a view of their current configurations—including application, middleware, and database versions, as well as operating system and hardware platform details specific to their Oracle environment. Configuration Support Manager includes automated general, product, and security alerts that notify customers of potential system issues, as well as provides proactive configuration-specific HealthChecks to optimize systems performance. These notifications offer customers greater control over their Oracle environment while reducing the risk of unplanned system downtime. Additionally, Configuration Support Manager helps safeguard the security and confidentiality of enterprise data through the use of Secure Socket Layer, HTTPS and 128-bit encryption.

"The addition of Configuration Support Manager to our Premier Support offering is testament to Oracle's ongoing commitment to provide customers with a superior ownership experience by helping them to lower the total cost of maintaining Oracle products," said Juergen Rottler, executive vice president, Oracle Customer Services. "By driving innovations, like Configuration Support Manager, we are helping customers gain more efficient use of their IT resources, significantly reduce infrastructure risks, and benefit from more effective change management."

Configuration Support Manager continues Oracle's investment in enhancing the value of its support offerings and in helping our customers unlock more value from their investments in Oracle technology. As the first enterprise software company to receive global certification under the new J.D. Power and Associates Certified Technology Service & Support Programs, Oracle provides customers with a superior ownership experience.

New Automated Support Capability Delivers Significant Time Savings
"We are in the process of converting multiple legacy systems to an Oracle platform," said Mike Macrie, Director of Back Office Technology, Ingersoll Rand. "Oracle Premier Support, specifically Configuration Support Manager, helps to eliminate several arduous tasks—allowing us to focus on transforming our business processes as well as our business systems."

"Configuration Support Manager, from Oracle Premier Support, is a great support capability for large environments where many data base administrators and support analysts submit service requests," said Vishal Anand, Director or Database Systems, Talk America. "My team really likes the ability to centrally view and manage all details of our Oracle environments."

"Tracking of Service Requests was a manual process, which meant that searching through many requests could take up to an hour for each one," said Jeanette Ormond, Director Administration Services, Southern Utah University. "With Configuration Support Manager, tracking is now available for a specific configuration or project with a single click; delivering significant time savings."

Benefits of Configuration Support Manager
Configuration Support Manager can help customers significantly lower the cost, time and labor involved in maintaining and enhancing their Oracle solutions.

Simplified configuration management. Utilizes core Enterprise Manager configuration management capabilities
to assist with tracking, managing and supporting complex, multi-component test, development, and production environments through configuration capture and viewing.

Faster problem resolution.
Accelerated information exchange between your systems and Oracle support engineers, leading to faster problem diagnosis and reduced time to resolution.

Proactive issue notification.
Product Alerts inform you of potential configuration performance risks by providing you with both General Alerts and Security Alerts -- automated, secure notifications about issues that could have an impact on your business.

Optimized performance.
HealthChecks identify potential issues that may affect the overall stability, performance, and scalability of your Oracle environment and inform you of the risks and recommendations associated with these issues.

About Oracle Support
Oracle Support gives customers access to the most advanced support organization in the world to help drive better results for customers and to help deliver optimal performance for Oracle Technology products and Oracle Applications, including JD Edwards, PeopleSoft and Siebel product lines. No other support organization can match Oracle's breadth and depth of technical expertise, advanced support technologies, or global reach, which includes support in 27 languages, in any time zone. Oracle has more than 14,000 developers and over 7,000 support professionals offering comprehensive maintenance and problem resolution for Oracle software.

Availability
Oracle Configuration Support Manager is available with Oracle Premier Support at no additional cost for customers who are current with their maintenance fees. Configuration Support Manager is available through Oracle MetaLink.

About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world's largest enterprise software company. More information about Oracle can be found on the web at www.oracle.com.

This announcement is intended to outline our general product direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decision. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for Oracle's products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.