As Published In January/February 2004

Oracle 10g's new licensing and small footprint help enhance third-party solutions.

An attractive licensing policy for embedding Oracle 10g software in third-party applications is generating interest from independent software vendors (ISVs) and hardware integrators throughout the computer industry. These companies can embed Oracle 10g software directly into their software applications and hardware devices, providing their customers with an enterprise-scale database or application server that is easy to install, manage, and use. The embedded software runs behind the scenes and is invisible to end users.

In addition to Oracle Database 10g, partners can embed individual components of Oracle Application Server 10g, including Portal, Business Intelligence, Integration, and Web Services. These components have a small footprint, making installation fast and easy.

Having an embedded, enterprise-scale database or application server is particularly appealing to small and midmarket companies, since they gain a proven software solution that lowers operational costs and increases quality of service. ISVs gain greater control over the installation process while simplifying software administration tasks for their customers.

Many of Oracle's partners in the life sciences, utilities, retail, financial services, technology, and manufacturing sectors have already taken advantage of embedded licensing to include database and application server capabilities directly in their products. For example, Concord Communications has embedded Oracle Database in its networking software for fault and performance management.

"It's much easier to sell our products with the Oracle database embedded in them," says Dayton Semerjian, director of partner development for Concord. "Our customers gain additional confidence in our solution, thanks to the reputation of the Oracle product line. The software is very easy for customers to install and manage on an ongoing basis, allowing them to deploy their technical resources on more pressing problems."

Next Steps LEARN more about embedded software licenses for ISVs on Oracle PartnerNetwork partner.oracle.com

ISVs such as Concord can take advantage of the self-tuning and automatic management features in Oracle Database 10g to lower their customers' operational costs and increase the quality of services they provide. A driving principle behind the development of Oracle Database 10g was to simplify required management tasks. This makes it readily accessible—and affordable—to smaller companies with limited technical expertise.

"By embedding the Oracle database, we allow scientists to manage their own data in a secure environment with little or no assistance from their IT departments," says Steve Levine, senior director of business development at Accelrys, a leading supplier of research software for the pharmaceutical, biotech, and chemical industries. "The sales cycle is reduced and customer satisfaction goes up."

Partners who have been approved to embed Oracle software receive discounts on deployment licenses of Oracle 10g software, as well as a 35 percent discount on Oracle University training. Oracle provides partners with an Embedded Licensing Resource Kit, available through the Oracle Partner Network, that contains tools, utilities, and step-by-step documentation.

"Midmarket companies are looking for complete business solutions that don't require a lot of IT overhead," concludes Oracle's Robert Shimp, vice president, Technology Marketing. "Oracle is making it easier for its partners to address the needs of these customers. Thanks to our embedded software licensing, our partners can build the most reliable and secure database and application server into their products at a very low price, along with porting assistance and technical support."