Oracle and Avnet Team to Drive Expansion of Oracle(R) Business Applications to SMBs Globally

ORACLEWORLD, SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oracle and Avnet Technology Solutions, an operating group of Avnet, Inc., are expanding their partnership in a significant effort to broaden global distribution and accessibility of Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition and JD Edwards Enterprise One and JD Edwards World offerings to small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs), the companies announced today.

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Avnet, long a value-added distributor of Oracle technology and a Certified Advantage Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork, is working with Oracle to build on industry and market expertise and create a new business unit that will begin to authorize an extensive network of solution providers to market, sell, implement and support Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition and JD Edwards applications.

Together, Oracle and Avnet are responding to end-user customer and reseller needs by providing a one-stop source for integrated SMB solutions -- including software and hardware, business and technology consulting, rapid implementation and support services, training, certification and financing programs -- to make it easy to get started. The alliance will make it simpler, faster, and less expensive to deploy solutions based on Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition and JD Edwards applications. It will also provide customers with choice among pre-configured technology platforms and help speed the time to business benefit.

"By working with Avnet, we are, for the first time, providing broader access to our applications suites targeted at SMBs," said Oracle President, Charles Phillips. "Together with Avnet, we are committed to assist and enable a much broader VAR channel and offer customers, who want our applications, the option of working with a trusted value added reseller partner in their local area."

"Working with Oracle to develop an SMB channel for these applications enables Avnet to expand our value to our partners and offer a sophisticated business solution in a cost-effective manner," said Rick Hamada, president, Avnet Technology Solutions. "By combining Avnet's strength in delivering value-add distribution services with our extended partner network and Oracle's proven-quality products, we will drive growth for our partners, Oracle and Avnet while providing the SMB market with business solutions that streamline key business processes at an attractive price point."

New Opportunity for Channel Partners

Both Oracle and Avnet believe that this new alignment will provide a significant opportunity for channel partners and will enable them to satisfy SMB customers with solutions to help end-user customers enhance their business by improving productivity; better managing risk; simplifying operations and processes, and maximizing their return on working capital, asset velocity and profitability. Both Oracle and Avnet plan to invest significantly in the success of this new channel.

"Avnet's new alliance with Oracle is great," said Scott Irwin, president of Aktion Associates in Maumee, Ohio. "Avnet augments our marketing, sales and implementation capabilities, allowing us to ramp and expand our supply chain practice quickly and cost effectively. The combination of Oracle's business application software and Avnet's new alliance allows us to offer an affordable, comprehensive solution to the SMB market. With Avnet as a partner to provide sales support, services and training, we'll be able to take these applications to market very quickly in a way that will have a direct positive impact to our bottom line."

Expanding the SMB Channel for Applications

The Avnet and Oracle business application initiative will initially roll out in North America beginning October 1, 2005, and later expand to Europe and Asia, creating a network of resources for SMB customers and solution providers across industries and regions. The launch includes the establishment of a dedicated Avnet team to market Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition and work with channel partners to sell, implement and support the software. This will include technical and sales training for Avnet solution providers, developing sales readiness, creating assisted selling models and providing implementation services.

In addition, Avnet will focus on partner enablement and certification to help partners become fully authorized as implementation partners for Oracle applications, both JD Edwards and the Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition. Avnet and Oracle plan to have a substantial base of fully functional VARs authorized to resell Oracle applications by July 2006 and expect to continue to add this base incrementally every year.

About Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition

Oracle's applications targeted at SMBs comprise Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition, Oracle's JD Edwards Enterprise One and JD Edwards World. Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition is an integrated suite of core business applications that streamlines key business processes, such as financials, purchasing, inventory management, order management, manufacturing, and sales force automation. Oracle E-Business Suite Special Edition meets the needs of the SMB market, providing a flexible and scaleable solution, with the power of Oracle E-Business Suite at an affordable cost.

About Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World

Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne is a complete suite of modular, pre-integrated industry-specific business applications designed for rapid deployment and ease of administration. It is ideally suited for organizations that manufacture, construct, distribute, service, or manage products or physical assets. Oracle's JD Edwards World, built for the IBM iSeries platform, offers small businesses a reliable, functionality-rich, web-enabled environment for world-class management of plants, inventories, equipment, finances, and people as a synchronized, integrated whole and are tightly integrated and pre-bundled on a single database, helping reduce implementation cost and complexity.

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork is a global business network of 15,000 companies who deliver innovative enterprise software solutions based on Oracle software. Through access to Oracle's premier products, education, technical services, marketing and sales support, the Oracle PartnerNetwork program provides partners with the resources they need to be successful in today's global economy. Oracle partners are able to offer customers' leading-edge solutions backed by Oracle's position as the world's largest enterprise software company. Partners who are able to demonstrate superior product knowledge, technical expertise and a commitment to doing business with Oracle can qualify for the Oracle Certified Partner levels. http://oraclepartnernetwork.oracle.com/

About Avnet Technology Solutions

Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. representing more than $4 billion revenue annually with locations in more than 30 countries. As a global technology sales and marketing organization, Avnet Technology Solutions has sales divisions focused on specific customer segments and a select line card strategy enabling an exceptional level of attention to the needs of its customers and suppliers. Avnet enables success from the center of the technology industry, providing cost-effective services and solutions vital to a broad base of more than 100,000 customers and 300 suppliers. The company markets, distributes and adds value to a wide variety of electronic components, enterprise computer products and embedded subsystems. Through its premier market position, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of capabilities which help its trading partners accelerate growth and realize cost efficiencies. Avnet generates more than $13 billion in annual through sales in 68 countries. Visit http://www.ats.avnet.com/ for more information.

About Oracle

Oracle is the world's largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, visit our web Site at http://www.oacle.com/ .

Trademarks

Oracle, JD Edwards and PeopleSoft are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

The above is intended to outline our general product direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for Oracle's products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.