Oracle partners launch Accelerate Solutions 15 February, 2007 By Patricia Pickett

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The Redwood Shores, Calif.-based vendor announced Oracle Accelerate at its OpenWorld event in October 2006 as a way of helping the 19,000 certified partners in its PartnerNetwork bring industry-focused solutions to SMBs without cutting corners when it comes to functionality, said Tony Kender, senior vice-president of Oracle's Global SMB business unit. He noted that Oracle counts more than 180,000 SMBs among its customers.

SMBs -- which Oracle defined as businesses with annual revenues of less than $500 million (U.S.) -- face the challenge of finding software that is easy and cost-effective to implement while still having enough functionality and meeting industry-specific requirements, Kender said.

"What used to happen was that those smaller companies were forced to buy less robust software systems because they were easier to implement," but functionality sacrifices were inevitable, he said. With Oracle Accelerate solutions, small companies can get the same level of functionality from their software as large firms, and can implement it quickly for a lower cost. "They can have their cake and eat it too," Kender said.

Oracle currently has seven North American partners participating in its Oracle Accelerate program and launching their own solutions. Worldwide, the vendor has about 20 partners that have gone through the Oracle Accelerate review process, and is working on bringing more onboard. The vendor has made its rapid implementation software, Business Accelerators, available to resellers for free as part of the Accelerate program. "If the partner has expertise in a particular industry... they can build out industry-specific solutions and add their IP (intellectual property) to our Accelerators," Kender explained.

Among the North American partners that have launched Accelerate solutions is Syntax.net, which has offices in Montreal and Toronto. Syntax's solution, targeted at the industrial manufacturing, products and components industry, utilizes Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne. Another partner, Baytree Associates Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., created an Oracle E-Business Suite-based solution for the professional services, management and consulting industry. Other Accelerate partners include Amazing USA, Business Technology Services Inc. (BizTech), DAZ Systems Inc., Solbourne and Tier1 Innovation.

Oracle has also added resources and services to assist partners to bring solutions to customers. One of them is new SMB pricing for partners, which includes special discounts, flexibility for bundling of appropriate products for each solution and a streamlined process for pricing clarification.

According to Jeff Abbott, vice-president of Oracle's Global SMB business unit, smaller customers are looking for price predictability. "Customers are saying, 'Give me something I can hang my hat on. Don't bait and switch me with additional costs.'" The partner, who knows the particular industry inside-out, defines the price, he noted.

Customization will also be more flexible, Abbott added. "Now the partner can take a look at a pre-packaged bundle and say, 'For this customer I really don't need this (feature),' and take it out, or add something else," he said. "They can customize the bundle without any Oracle corporate approval or any red tape at all."

Oracle also plans to help Accelerate partners locate and market their solutions to potential customers. A big part of marketing will involve "battling the perception that Oracle is too big, complex and expensive for SMBs," Abbot said. The vendor will also launch collaborative campaigns with other large financial and credit organizations whose solutions will be packaged with Oracle offerings. Through these campaigns, Oracle is hoping to "get the attention of SMBs that perhaps have not considered Oracle before," Abbott said.

Oracle is also blowing the dust off its referral fee program, revising it to include guidelines on how to identify SMB software needs, as well as a dedicated referral web site and incentives for top referrers, Abbott said. Those who refer new business can earn a five-per-cent fee off the license opportunity, he said.

In addition, an Accelerate Partner Loyalty Program, to be launched next fiscal year, will allow partners to qualify for increasing levels of training, sales and marketing resources and funding to promote their solutions.

The vendor also set up the Oracle Accelerate Solutions Catalog, a new designation in the PartnerNetwork Solutions Catalog that showcases partners' Accelerate solutions. The catalogue can be searched online based on geography, industry vertical and application product family.