SAP CFO sees no out-of-court settlement with Oracle

The chief financial officer of business software maker SAP does not believe an out of court settlement with Oracle is likely at present, he told German Sunday weekly Euro am Sonntag.

"That is a possibility that we never ruled out, but for the moment it is not an issue. There are no talks over and above the regular court proceedings," Werner Brandt said.

Oracle had filed a lawsuit against SAP in March 2007, accusing it of corporate theft and copyright infringement.

The two are bitter rivals in the battle to supply customers with software to automate, integrate and manage everything from human resources to accounting.

When asked about the company's outlook, Brandt said he continues to expect an adjusted operating margin of 35 percent in the mid-term.

"I see no reason why we cannot generate 100 basis points of additional margin annually in the coming years, and even slightly more if business is good," he said.

For 2008, SAP expects its non-GAAP operating margin at constant currencies, which excludes a non-recurring deferred support revenue writedown from the acquisition of Business Objects and acquisition-related charges, to be in the range of between 28.5 and 29.0 percent.

Brandt also forecast organic growth in software and other software-related service revenue, which doesn't include maintenance sales, would be a clear two-digit percentage figure on average in the coming years.

By comparison, the company has said this would rise by 12-14 percent in 2008, when the contribution from the acquisition of Business Objects is stripped out.

Source: (Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner; editing by Elaine Hardcastle @ www.forbes.com)

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Dubai World deploys largest Oracle installation

Dubai World is currently rolling out Oracle Hyperion Financial Management software to more than 300 users across 150 legal entities in a bid to strengthen its corporate governance and regulatory compliance processes.

The new software deployment, which is the largest installation of Oracle’s Hyperion solutions in the wider Middle East region, will enable the finance departments of various Dubai World companies to accelerate and enhance their reporting status, analyse financial growth, and develop a single instance of financial reporting across their organisations.

“Robust corporate governance, accurate and swift financial reporting, and rapid compliance with changing regulatory frameworks are key elements of Dubai World’s growth strategy as a global company, and our new Oracle Hyperion Financial Management system is a critical tool to achieving these aims,” said Maryam Sharaf, group chief financial Office, Dubai World.

The Hyperion Financial Management software selected by Dubai World is a comprehensive, Web-based financial software application that delivers global collection reporting and analysis in a single, highly scalable offering.

While the software utilises the most advanced technology currently available in the market, its user-friendly interface and financial reporting tools enable it to be owned and maintained by Dubai World’s Corporate Finance team together with its Information Technology Center which provides hosting services, said a top Oracle official.

"We anticipate that Hyperion Financial Management will enable Dubai World to reduce its financial consolidation timeline by half by automating and streamlining its closing and analysis processes,” said Arun Khehar, vice president, RPM Industries, Oracle.

“This type of system also helps customers like Dubai World identify new sources of profitability while cutting down on the operating costs of its finance departments, and these benefits can be significant to a growing global brand with multiple overseas subsidiaries,” he added.

One of the fundamental benefits that Dubai World expects to derive from using Hyperion Financial Management is a ‘single version of truth’ in the reporting of its financial results across a diversity of subsidiaries, Khehar explained.

Rather than relying on spreadsheets or custom-made reporting solutions, the new software can integrate information from multiple systems and companies within Dubai World and provide a single and centralized view of the company’s finances.

This latest software deployment was managed in partnership with Paragon Middle East.

Dubai World plans to extend the Oracle Hyperion solution to its subsidiaries in Europe, Africa and the US within the year, said Sharaf.

Source: www.tradearabia.com

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Oracle Announces Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing Release 2.2

Enhancements Help Utilities Boost Employee Productivity, Improve Ability to Manage Conservation Programs and Enhance Customer Experience.

* Today, Oracle announced the availability of Oracle(r) Utilities Customer Care and Billing 2.2, which includes significant enhancements that help utilities boost employee productivity, improve ability to manage conservation programs and enhance customer service.
* The new release continues to build on Oracle’s commitment to providing utilities with industry-specific applications that are pre-integrated with other Oracle product offerings and allow customers to fully leverage Oracle Database and Oracle Fusion Middleware technology to improve application performance and reliability.
* Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing helps customers manage all aspects of the utility customer lifecycle including service connection, management of meter reads (index and interval), complex billing, payment processing and debt collection. In addition, the product also supports associated functions like field service, meter management, sales and marketing and provides a very flexible rating engine and efficient contact center management application.

Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing Release 2.2 Details

* Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing 2.2 helps utilities:
* Improve Conservation Program Management - Utilities today are focused on driving environmental initiatives by offering green products and services, developing demand response programs and improving grid efficiency. Many utilities encourage customers to participate in conservation and energy efficiency programs by issuing rebates upon proof of purchase. In order to efficiently run these programs, utilities require systems that help them to market to their customer base, automate processing and track/analyze campaign progress. Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing 2.2 enables utilities to manage conservation programs within the customer information system (CIS) itself, ensuring a single data repository and a single view of the customer. The new module provides management-level program oversight, increased automation and governance capabilities, as well as support of analytical requirements.
* Enhance Customer Service - Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing 2.2 offers utilities new tools that empower employees to improve customer service. The new application version provides enhanced cashiering functionalities that help streamline processes and improve the efficiency of walk-in payment centers, which can lead to shorter customer lines. The application also enables utilities to track customer preferences, ensuring the utility contacts customers through the channel the customer requests, which may include e-mail, phone, fax or postal mail.
* Boost Productivity - The application includes Task Optimization tools that allow utilities to reduce the number of steps and associated "clicks" in their most common processes - improving efficiency and ensuring consistency in task execution. The Task Optimization tools allow utilities to model their business processes, including configuring their own user interfaces, to suit their unique work processes and needs, while ensuring all data entered is properly validated for accuracy. This enables the system to be even more intuitive and user friendly, helping to reduce required training and improve productivity and efficiency.
* Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing 2.2 leverages Oracle’s application infrastructure - including Oracle Database 11g , Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle Enterprise Linux, a feature of the Oracle Unbreakable Linux support program - to provide a unified application and technology operating environment. The new release also operates with Oracle Real Application Clusters to provide even higher system-availability for the most critical utilities systems and integrates with Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher to meet utilities’ unique reporting requirements.

Supporting Quote

* "Oracle provides the flexibility and reliability we need to run our business. The enhanced customer care and billing system will support the cashiers in our walk-in payment centers by providing streamlined cashiering processes and a comprehensive view of the customer, allowing us to reduce the number of IT systems that we need to maintain -- and ultimately providing the best possible customer care" said Alisa Mann, customer services manager, Las Vegas Valley Water District.

Supporting Resources

* Oracle Utilities
* Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing

Source: www.oracle.com

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