Oracle OpenWorld 2012: Five Questions and 5,000 Partners

openworld

1. Cloud Partner Profits: The Oracle Cloud Partner Program will launch at OpenWorld. But what’s the true revenue and margin opportunity for partners that climb on Oracle’s cloud bandwagon? The VAR Guy will hunt for answers.

2. Oracle Engineered Systems: The company has spent the past few years telling partners that engineered systems — SPARC processors, Oracle database, Oracle middleware, Oracle applications — deliver the most scalable, most effective approach for partners and customers. Oracle says Exadata, Exalogic and Exalytics revenues more than doubled in Q1 2013. But how much of that revenue is flowing through partners?

3. Mobile Revolution: Check most of the chatter around Oracle, and the company positions itself as a hardware, software and engineered system provider for the cloud and data centers. Oracle also has a boatload of mobile solutions for identity management, application access, and more. But will those solutions receive proper focus during OpenWorld? Hmmm…

4. Oracle Acquisitions: The technology company has made dozens of acquisitions over the years. But which  of the most recent deals — 2010 through present — offer the greatest upside opportunity to channel partners?

5.Oracle Database Appliance: The appliance, which runs Oracle Linux on Intel, is available through distributors such as Avnet Technology Solutions. Oracle positions the appliance as an ideal way to consolidate legacy Microsoft SQL Server databases onto a more scalable Oracle setting. Oracle in April 2012 indicated that more that the channel generates more than 90 percent of database appliance sales. Is that trend continuing?

6. Bonus 1 — Mark Hurd and Judson Althoff: While Judson Althoff leads the Oracle Partner Network (OPN) Specialized partner program, President Mark Hurd has been known to weigh in frequently on the company’s channel strategy. Generally speaking, Mark Hurd is far more visible than Larry Ellison within Oracle’s partner community. So what is the working relationship between Hurd and Althoff? How does Althoff work with Oracle’s c-suite to make sure partners don’t get trampled by Oracle’s direct sales force. And ultimately, what does Hurd want from Oracle partners over the next year?

7. Bonus 2 — Big Data: No database gathering is complete without a Big Data discussion. But here’s the thing: Big Data is on the cover of Harvard Business Review right now. Does that mean the Big Data hype cycle is coming to its end? Hmmm…

The VAR Guy will go hunting for answers at OpenWorld.