Rick Sherlund Oracle Quotations

We believe that there is a clear platform shift underway from earlier-generation client-server systems to more Internet-enabled client-server systems and the added new dimension of business-to-business commerce. Oracle appears to be out in front of this issue.

Given the difficult transition for other companies that have made the switch (to subscription accounting), we view this with some relief for Oracle stock.

Oracle may benefit from its presence as an Internet infrastructure provider as its applications and databases become more Internet centric.

Oracle has an August quarter, so we are more compelled to cut estimates now. Siebel is September, so we could wait, but the numbers just look too optimistic. Given cost reductions, the EPS cut for Oracle is small, but the growth rates for Siebel are much faster, so EPS reductions more significant.

Oracle has an August quarter, so we are more compelled to cut estimates now, ... Siebel is September, so we could wait, but the numbers just look too optimistic. Given cost reductions, the EPS cut for Oracle is small, but the growth rates for Siebel are much faster, so EPS reductions more significant.

We view this favorably for Red Hat, given our view that Red Hat will need to move up the infrastructure stack and add a database, application server, portal, and integration technology to deliver an open-source infrastructure stack to compete with that of BEA , Oracle , IBM and Microsoft .

Extrapolating from Oracle as a bellwether for the rest of the software sector, we believe the September quarter results for the group will likely come in a bit shy of estimates,