Integration Promises Still Haunting Oracle
PeopleSoft and JD Edwards EnterpriseOne customers can now securely run applications connected with Oracle Fusion Middleware, an integrated suite of standards-based middleware products to build and deploy service-oriented architectures (SOA). "The products went through testing and regression analysis to ensure they meet benchmarks," said Jose Lazares, senior director, product strategy at Oracle.
PeopleSoft applications now can run on Oracle&'s Containers for Java, and extended with Oracle JDeveloper and Application Development Framework, a Java EE standards-based Development Framework, and accessed through a common portal using Oracle Portal via support for JSR-168 and WSRP Portlets.
The middleware platform also makes it easier for customers to upgrade to new versions of Oracle&'s applications; to integrate applications via portal, data and business process layers; and to define, manage, and change security policies across a collection of business services while laying the overall foundation for a SOA. "We have certified across five design patterns that include BPEL to allow companies to do asynchronous and synchronous messaging between Oracle Fusion Middleware and PeopleSoft, and asynchronous request reply responses," Lazares said.
With one eye on rival SAP AG, Oracle enabled a method that lets companies develop composite applications and enterprise business processes using Oracle&'s Enterprise Service Bus and Oracle BPEL Process Manager for PeopleSoft applications. They are monitored in real time using Oracle Business Activity Monitoring and analyzed using Oracle Discoverer. Oracle is attempting to prove good on its intent to integrate "best of breed" functions from applications acquired with the string companies it devoured this year, but some analysts don't buy it.
Capital Markets LLC today downgraded the stock to hold from buy citing "absent is the ability to improve business fundamentals dramatically," while Oracle attempts to integrate applications from acquired companies. The firm restated fiscal year 2006, ending May, earnings per share to 79 cents on $14.1 billion in revenue revised from 81 cent and $14.4 billion, respectively.
Capital Markets also downgraded shares to hold from buy and reduced the target price to $15 per share from $18 per share. "The integration of Oracle's diverse application stacks will be time-consuming and technically difficult, increasing the risk of business disruption," Lazard Capital analyst John Rizzuto wrote in a report.
Oracle is scheduled to report second quarter 2006 earnings on Dec. 15.