UKOUG helps Oracle acquisition of Sun
UKOUG press release, London, 21st January 2010 UKOUG helps Oracle acquisition of Sun UK Oracle User Group (UKOUG) has proved invaluable in the successful acquisition of Sun Microsystems by the Oracle Corporation, after a recent EU ruling. European antitrust regulators have given Oracle the all clear to go ahead with its $7.4bilion purchase of Sun, following a presentation by UKOUG representatives of its support at the ruling in Brussels. The UKOUG testimony followed a long-running vocal campaign of support for the acquisition. Ronan Miles, chairman of UKOUG, travelled to Brussels and in collaboration with Ian Abramson, president of the US-based Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG), presented a joint front to support the deal. Oracle’s Sun acquisition was in jeopardy after European antitrust officials expressed concerns over competition in the database market, in particular the direct competition between Sun’s MySQL and Oracle’s own rival software. But in Ronan Miles’ UKOUG presentation and following his November 18 letter to European Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes, he said that the purchase would not affect competition, but indeed support it. “Oracle has a proven track record in supporting open standards,” said Ronan Miles. “Much of the technology that surrounds the Oracle databases is built on open source technology and we expect Oracle to foster an ethic of innovation and openness in MySQL that will promote rather than hinder competition. Previous Oracle database acquisitions of TimesTen and Hyperion Essbase are good examples of the company’s ability to support and enhance growth, indicating a safe future for MySQL.” Said Ronan Miles after his presentation, “We focused on key points, raised new evidence and highlighted that we have a strong influence over Oracle. Our evidence shows that the 1,500+ Oracle customers we represent want the merger and in supporting them to a positive outcome we have significantly improved our credibility within Oracle whilst maintaining our independent position. This can only be a good thing for our customers.” About UKOUG UKOUG is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation, created over 25 years ago to support Oracle users and technology Partners. Since its inception, UKOUG has grown to incorporate Oracle acquisitions and now boasts over 10,000 members. UKOUG provides the Oracle community with a number of tailored educational events throughout the year to network, share knowledge, and interact with senior Oracle representatives and industry leaders. It’s collective strength of the combined Oracle community, acts as a single independent voice to influence the future design, functionality and technology that is key to all Oracle users. UKOUG contact: |
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