ISV News: How long have you been working in the technology industry, and how long with partners?
Hartmuth Horny: I've been working in the technology industry since 1989, when I joined Lotus Development in Germany as a sales engineer. I progressed through virtually every sales management position, including retail sales, distribution, key account management and strategic account management.

I've been working with partners since 1994. In that year I took responsibility for managing Lotus's strategic alliance with IBM in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as strategic alliances with Sun Microsystems, Digital and HP. From there I went on to manage the whole 6,000-strong EMEA partner base, working with a virtual team of 40 people.

After Lotus's merger with IBM in 1997, I managed the a combined partner sales team of 85 people, working with a community of 9,000 partners including 800 Premium Partners (the equivalent of Oracle's Certified Advantage Partner level).

After IBM I joined Intraware, where I was responsible for ensuring that the company was correctly positioned with major partners like IBM - so I know how it is to work in a smaller ISV organisation and gain visibility with larger vendor partners. I left Intraware to join BEA, where I managed the launch of WebLogic across EMEA before becoming interim VP for partner sales and then director for partner marketing. In this latter role I was responsible for creating and executing joint marketing plans with a wider range of partners and partner types, including HP, Intel, Accenture and Documentum.

I joined Oracle from BEA in July this year, as director for ISV Programs across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

ISVN: What does your current role involve?
HH: I'm responsible for building programmes that help ISVs develop a successful business on Oracle's whole technology stack. Oracle offers not just the world's leading relational database, but also an advanced, comprehensive and integrated suite of middleware products - Oracle Fusion Middleware - that ISVs can use to develop, deploy and integrate their solutions without having to build any middleware of their own. It's an independent, standards-based middleware platform that incorporates everything from development tools and integration technologies to a ready-made portal environment for application delivery.

My role is to ensure that ISVs understand the commercial and technical advantages of building on Oracle, and also that they are aware of Oracle's extensive, free partner migration services, which ensure a rapid and smooth transition to the Oracle platform.

ISVN: What initiatives do you have coming up for ISVs?
HH: One major initiative we have currently underway is the ISV Technical Roadshow. It was a great success last year, so this year we have doubled its scope to cover at least 30 European cities. It started in Prague in September, and will continue to the end of March. ISVs can attend these events to learn in detail about the business and technical benefits of using the Oracle platform; find out more about working with Oracle; meet with key Oracle representatives, and network with peers. (For a full schedule of roadshow events, click here.)

ISVN: In your view, why should ISVs evaluate Oracle as a technology partner?
HH: Oracle provides the market-leading relational database and a comprehensive, advanced middleware suite, giving ISVs a powerful, scalable, highly-available and very widely used technology platform on which to base their solutions. ISVs can also take advantage of the significant business opportunity to resell Oracle Applications - a vast suite of modular, horizontal business applications that can complement and extend the ISV's own solution footprint.

Additionally, Oracle has a series of clearly defined Go-To-Market initiatives (GTMIs), in which ISVs and their solutions play an integral part. In each GTMI, Oracle identifies relevant ISV partners and supports them with pre-sales, sales and marketing initiatives for maximum joint business success. Becoming part of an Oracle GTMI represents a major, pan-EMEA business opportunity for complementary ISV partners.

ISVN: What makes a successful partnership, in your opinion?
HH: A successful partnership must be a win-win scenario, in which both partners must work together to understand where the other is heading. Working with Oracle means ISVs can focus on their core competency safe in the knowledge that their solution is supported by world-leading technology. The best partnership is one that offers the best solution to customers Oracle recognises that it cannot do this alone, and this is why strong partnerships with complementary ISVs are critical to our strategy.

ISVN: How can ISVs find out more about working with Oracle?
HH: ISVs can visit the Oracle PartnerNetwork site for more information about becoming an Oracle partner. The next step would be to contact the local Oracle channel manager to make formal introductions and discuss how best to work together. I'd also recommend that ISVs come along to one of our roadshow events (click here for provisional schedule) to meet Oracle representatives in person and talk about possible collaboration.