Database Software

WASHINGTON  -- On a patch of pavement outside the Canadian Embassy, Jay McGinley is trying to starve himself to death. After drinking nothing but water for more than 30 days, he appears close to achieving his goal. When he stands up, his dark blue sweater hangs from a wasted frame. On the 21st day of his hunger strike, May 15, McGinley was hospitalized briefly when his kidneys almost failed. He returned to his post the next day. Wednesday is his 36th day without food.

WASHINGTON  -- On a patch of pavement outside the Canadian Embassy, Jay McGinley is trying to starve himself to death. After drinking nothing but water for more than 30 days, he appears close to achieving his goal. When he stands up, his dark blue sweater hangs from a wasted frame. On the 21st day of his hunger strike, May 15, McGinley was hospitalized briefly when his kidneys almost failed. He returned to his post the next day. Wednesday is his 36th day without food.

Oracle Corp.'s lead in the database software market shrank last year, as IBM Corp. and Microsoft Corp. boosted sales, market researcher IDC said. Oracle's share of the $13-billion market declined to 39.4% last year from 41.7% in 2001, IDC said. IBM's portion increased to 33.6% from 31%, and Microsoft's rose to 11.1% from 9.7%. Oracle shares fell 30 cents to $10.76, and Microsoft fell 61 cents to $22.95 on Nasdaq. IBM fell $2.20 to $75.70 on the New York Stock Exchange. From Bloomberg News

The judge in  Oracle Corp.'s copyright-infringement lawsuit against  Google Inc.  may accept a partial verdict. U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said Friday that he had a "strong inclination" to accept a partial verdict in the case, an outcome that Google opposes. The jury has been weighing whether Google infringed parts of Oracle's Java programming language to develop the Android operating system for smartphones, now running on 300 million devices. The panel heard two weeks of testimony from Oracle and Google executives, including their chief executive officers.

It's not often that I get excited about software, but a new database management program has me on my feet. Approach for Windows from Approach Software of Redwood City, Calif., is both easy to use and powerful. That's a rare combination when it comes to database software. The program runs on an IBM compatible PC with Microsoft Windows. Database management software is typically used to store, manage and organize information.

IBM Corp., taking aim at rival database giant Oracle Corp., plans to unveil today a new version of its DB2 database software that it says will make it easier for companies to manage large amounts of information. IBM has been trying to beef up its software offerings in recent years, as software products often sell at higher margins than its hardware products, which are increasingly approaching commodity status.

Japan Distribution: Magic Software Enterprises, an Irvine company that makes database software, has signed a deal with IBM Japan and a Japanese distributor, Wacom, to sell its software in Japan. Under the agreement, Tokyo-based Wacom will distribute a version of Magic's database software, which has been customized for the Japanese marketplace. "Japan is currently the single largest software market opportunity in the world.

Sybase Inc., trying to boost sales growth, will revamp its flagship database software product and most of its other programs this year, Chief Executive Mitchell Kertzman said. The lineup will include an improved version of SQL Server System 11, the company's chief database software product, by the second or third quarter and a host of development tools to let customers more easily store and retrieve information in corporate databases, Kertzman said.

Oracle Agrees to Buy DEC's Database Unit: Troubled Digital Equipment Corp. is selling its database software unit for $108 million in cash as part of its effort to concentrate on its core business of manufacturing computers that work in networks. Oracle, based in Redwood Shores, Calif., plans to integrate Digital's products into its own. Both companies' software is used by large companies to keep track of high-volume data such as customer names and sales information.

Oracle Corp., the biggest maker of database software, created a business unit focused on applications for the health-sciences industry. The unit will work with drug, biotechnology, medical-device and healthcare companies, Oracle said. Separately, Oracle said it would buy the application business of Skywire Software, whose products help insurers create and manage policies. Terms weren't disclosed.

Despite a formal objection from European Union antitrust officials, Oracle Corp. vowed to wage a vigorous battle for its planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc., as analysts warned that continuing delays in the $7.4-billion deal are proving costly for both companies. Officials at the European Commission issued a formal statement of objections to the acquisition, citing concerns that the deal may discourage competition in the market for database software. Oracle can still take the fight to the full European Commission, which has until January to make a final decision.

Oracle Corp. figured its $7.4 billion buyout for Sun Microsystems Inc. could skate through antitrust scrutiny, folding Sun into a technology powerhouse when Sun badly needs the lifeline. Both companies will have to wait. European Union regulators applied the brakes Thursday, launching a formal antitrust probe that shatters Oracle's goal of completing the acquisition this summer. The U.S. Department of Justice has already approved the deal. The investigation is focused on whether Oracle will gain too much power in the market for database software, which underpins most things people do in business or on the Web. It helps companies manage and retrieve data they've stored, such as payroll or sales information.

Oracle Corp. posted a 27% increase in fiscal fourth-quarter profit Wednesday and overtook IBM Corp. as the second-largest software maker. Net income in the quarter ended May 31 rose to $2.04 billion, or 39 cents a share, from $1.6 billion, or 31 cents, a year earlier, Redwood City, Calif.-based Oracle said. Still, the company's first-quarter forecast signaled that growth might ebb, sending the shares down 3.4% in extended trading. International sales and rebounding U.S. orders helped Oracle withstand a slowing economy last quarter.

Oracle Corp., the biggest maker of database software, created a business unit focused on applications for the health-sciences industry. The unit will work with drug, biotechnology, medical-device and healthcare companies, Oracle said. Separately, Oracle said it would buy the application business of Skywire Software, whose products help insurers create and manage policies. Terms weren't disclosed.

Oracle Corp. on Monday reported higher-than-expected fiscal second-quarter earnings, buoyed by strong sales of its core database software. Executives at the Redwood City, Calif.-based company credited most of the growth to rising optimism among corporate technology buyers, who are beginning to ramp up spending after three years of cutting back. Sales in the quarter ended Nov. 30 were $2.5 billion, up 8% from a year earlier.

Oracle Corp.'s lead in the database software market shrank last year, as IBM Corp. and Microsoft Corp. boosted sales, market researcher IDC said. Oracle's share of the $13-billion market declined to 39.4% last year from 41.7% in 2001, IDC said. IBM's portion increased to 33.6% from 31%, and Microsoft's rose to 11.1% from 9.7%. Oracle shares fell 30 cents to $10.76, and Microsoft fell 61 cents to $22.95 on Nasdaq. IBM fell $2.20 to $75.70 on the New York Stock Exchange. From Bloomberg News

International Business Machines Corp. said it will hire more than 1,000 people this year and next to develop and sell database software, as the world's No. 1 computer maker tries to grab sales from Oracle Corp. IBM will add more than 500 employees--more than 300 software engineers and 200 salespeople--for its database unit this year and will recruit at least 500 more in 2001.

Database software giant Oracle Corp. on Wednesday posted quarterly earnings and sales that beat its own cautious forecasts, as the company said it believes the worst is over. For its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30, Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Oracle posted net income of $535 million, or 10 cents a share, down 2.6% from $549 million, or 10 cents a year earlier. Total revenue slipped to $2.31 billion from $2.

IBM Corp., taking aim at rival database giant Oracle Corp., plans to unveil today a new version of its DB2 database software that it says will make it easier for companies to manage large amounts of information. IBM has been trying to beef up its software offerings in recent years, as software products often sell at higher margins than its hardware products, which are increasingly approaching commodity status.