LE has got his ORCL PR machine in high gear.
Tuesday October 12, 7:47 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Oracle Corporation
Oracle Triples the Reach of the Internet; Enables New
Category of Wireless E-Business Applications
Ships New Internet Software 'Oracle(R) Portal-to-Go' as Ellison Confirms 'The Internet Has
Pushed the PC Off-Stage'
GENEVA, TELECOM'99, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL - news), the number one choice for
e-business, today announced the availability of its Oracle® Portal-to-Go wireless Internet software, the world's first extension
of e-business and Internet access to the wireless world. Virtually tripling the reach of the Internet, Oracle Portal-to-Go
(formerly code-named ''Project Panama'') will allow any wireless device to access Internet content and e-services.
Fundamentally, it will transform telecommunications companies into a new generation of ''wireless e-service providers,'' and
enable any business or content provider to tap the full potential of the wireless market.
In prefacing the announcement during his keynote at Telecom '99, Lawrence J. Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Oracle Corp.,
declared victory for his vision of low-cost and easy Internet access from any computing device, including mobile phones,
televisions, PDAs and other wireless appliances.
''Four years ago at Telecom '95 I made some people very angry when I said the PC is a ridiculous device,'' Ellison said. ''Now
the Internet has pushed the PC off stage, and will eventually change, not just the industry, but our economies and cultures.'' He
continued, ''I further predict that Europe, with its two year lead in digital wireless telephony, will surpass the US in numbers of
Internet users. Ultimately, worldwide, wireless access to the Internet will exceed PC access.''
''The cell phone removed the physical constraints caused by wires that connected users to the 'network' -- at least for voice
traffic; however, data users largely have been unable to connect to the Internet without wires. That is about to change,''
according to GartnerGroup, ''Wireless Access: An E-Business Growth Hormone'', September 1999 report. ''By 2005, more
than 1 billion mobile phones will be in use worldwide (0.7 probability). By contrast, the number of PC-based Internet users will
not even exceed the number of mobile phones currently in use worldwide (305 million) before 2002. If e-business is a
byproduct of the Internet evolution; wireless access technologies are a growth enabler for e-business.''
Oracle Portal-to-Go is Internet software that enables virtually any wireless device to access any existing web or database
application or content, including secure e-business applications. By extending Internet access beyond today's PC-based access
points to the 305 million wireless handsets in use, Oracle Portal-to-Go opens the door to a rapidly expanding market that is
three times larger than that of today's Internet users. It will allow wireless carriers to provide a host of new e-services to their
customers.
''As a key Internet content provider, we are very excited at the prospect of being able to increase our reach threefold
overnight. We see the wireless category as a big opportunity for us, since research has indicated that driving directions are the
most frequently requested wireless application,'' said David Ingerman, vice president, Marketing of Mapquest (MQST). ''With
Oracle Portal-to-Go, Mapquest will reach users on any wireless device and we don't have to rewrite our content or worry
about the standards involved.''
Built on Oracle's Internet database software, Oracle Portal-to-Go is standards based and highly-scaleable to meet the
high-volume demand requirements of the telecommunications market.
Without limiting wireless carriers to a single, proprietary format, or type of device, Oracle Portal-to-Go instantly and
automatically translates Internet and database content into whatever format a user's device requires. Carriers are freed to focus
on reducing churn by building value-added, localized services instead of scrambling to re-code content every time a standard
changes or technology improves. Combining Oracle Portal-to-Go's web, database and security features, wireless carriers can
instantly become broad range e-commerce service providers.
Built on Oracle Portal-to-Go, global telecom giants, including Cegetel, E-Plus, Libertel and Telia Mobile, have already
developed a broad array of new e-services such as mobile e-travel, mobile banking, ticket purchasing, flight information,
real-time auctions, mobile stock trading, mobile messaging and mobile contact management. In as little as a few hours, carriers
can create and deploy new wireless e-business services.
''This creates a tremendous new opportunity for us,'' said Pat McVey, CEO of OpenSky. ''Oracle Portal-to-Go will allow us
to offer an array of customized e-services to our mobile users, as well as extend the rich content of the Internet. Oracle
Portal-to-Go gives us unparalleled flexibility and scalability in designing Internet services for any wireless device without writing
a single line of code.''
Oracle Corporation is the world's leading supplier of software for information management, and the world's second largest
software company. With annual revenues of more than $9.1 billion, the company offers its database, application server, tools
and application products, along with related consulting, education and support services, in more than 145 countries around the
world.
For more information about Oracle, please call 650-506-7000. Oracle's World Wide Web address is (URL)
oracle.com.
Trademarks
Oracle is a registered trademark and Portal-to-Go is a trademark or registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Other names
may be trademarks of their respective owners. |
