Why is Oracle making a bid for PeopleSoft? I don't get it. Someone help this lowly programmer think like a billion-dollar CEO.
Most don't think Oracle is really serious, but they sure do sow FUD in the PeopleSoft/JD Edwards customer base by doing this now.
And, if Oracle ends up buying PeopleSoft, well, this is a boost to Ellison's ego as he recently predicted a shrinking industry. Nothing like a prophecy come true to make you look like a prophet, even a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Re:Confusion
gizmo_mathboy on 2003-06-19T04:18:10
I caught a brief bit of Kudlow and Cramer on CNBC Monday and Cramer had an interesting idea. It goes into the FUD factor. Peoplsoft is not screwed until this situation is resolved. Their software is somewhat less desirable now, for new customers. It even messes with J.D. Edwards Company as well.
If Oracle gets Peoplesoft then that's an added bonus because they eliminated a competitor, a very big one if Peoplesoft did acquire JDEC.Re:Confusion
jordan on 2003-06-19T14:57:20
Well, Oracle raised their price for PeopleSoft yesterday. This is not really a clear intention that they are really serious about buying, though. They had to raise it to retain credibility as the current stock price was higher than what they were offerring.
- If Oracle gets Peoplesoft then that's an added bonus because they eliminated a competitor, a very big one if Peoplesoft did acquire JDEC.
I think the JDEC acquisition is off until the Oracle bid is resolved. PeopleSoft can't defend themselves from the Oracle bid and acquire JDEC at the same time. The price being offered by Oracle doesn't include the JDEC acquisition, either, so that'll have to be reconciled some way. Ellison was asked if they would go ahead with the JDEC acquisition if Oracle acquired PeopleSoft and he said he wasn't sure.
In any case, the angle of eliminating competition is very double edged. In some ways, eliminating PeopleSoft and burying their product line, as Ellison has promised if the acquisition goes through, helps SAP and Microsoft more than Oracle. It's doubtful that Oracle could acquire many of those stranded PeopleSoft customers, they'll probably look at alternatives first. PeopleSoft has a fairly satisfied customer base that won't like having their software ditched.
As I said, he might not mind putting Oracle at a disadvantage to SAP and Microsoft if it plays up his dire predictions about the contraction of the market that's coming. djberg96 opened this thread with a plaintive cry:
...Someone help this lowly programmer think like a billion-dollar CEO.
Well, I really can't get into Ellison's head, but at some point there's only so much you can spend. At some point, it's more about ego than the business. Ego and business usually overlap, because having the biggest business is a big boost to the ego. But, if you believe the business is inevitably contracting and you've put that view out there on record, then it's a boost to the ego to make sure it happens.
That's my view, anyway...
