Oracle Unveils Business Software

By Godfrey Tung'wet Posted 08 August 2006 @ 04:37 pm EET     Print     Reprint     E-Mail     Comments

NAIROBI (IBTimes.com) - Oracle Corporation has increased its suite of business software designed for medium-sized businesses, including the well-entrenched JD Edwards product.

Click to Enlarge Oracle Corporation has increased its suite of business ...

With more than 250 JD Edwards customers in Africa alone, Oracle has identified the continent as a key market for its software, including Oracle e-business suite special edition.

As the average GDP growth in Kenya and the rest of Africa continues to outstrip the global average, medium-sized manufacturers are seeking to take advantage of domestic demand and export opportunities.

"When Oracle acquired Peoplesoft and JD Edwards in 2004, it was at a point where Africa was showing consistently higher economic growth in the region of 5.1 per cent," said Mr Desi Lopez FafiÈ, Oracle Africa managing director.

"Since then this has risen to 5.7 per cent, and our customers are anxious to improve their productivity and streamline their operations so that they can keep their costs down while boosting output. They are also under pressure, than their larger counterparts, to remain competitive."

African businesses, said FafiÈ, need the same "heavyweight" software as large corporations, but at a lower price.

"The power of the medium-sized market has compelled large business software vendors to take notice of them," he said.

This has translated into lower pricing, faster implementation and lower cost of ownership. Oracle’s software for average enterprises promotes integration.

"The success of JD Edwards can be attributed to its integration and its stability," said FafiÈ.