Oracle plots ECM push

Oracle is expected to set out its enterprise content management plans this week

Oracle will use its OpenWorld conference in San Francisco this week to detail plans to move into enterprise content management (ECM) and extend deeper into business intelligence.

Information on the database giant's ECM software, codenamed Tsunami, was first revealed in September. The product will be packaged as part of Oracle's Collaboration Suite and will offer a scalable alternative to Microsoft's SharePoint, according to Alan Pelz-Sharpe of analyst Ovum.

A Tsunami release is expected in the first half of next year. Oracle's ECM debut is timely as many organisations are currently struggling to cope with the growth of unstructured data, and new laws and rules governing information management.

Firms that already rely on Oracle products are likely to be drawn to Tsunami, although some questioned its positioning. "We are very, very interested [in Tsunami] because content management was the obvious missing lump in Oracle's range," commented Ronan Miles, chairman of the UK Oracle User Group. "[But] there's also a degree of confusion: why put it in with email and messaging? That's not what content management is about."

IT vendors already supplying content management systems were keen to downplay the effect of Oracle entering the market. "[Oracle will] do a portal and it's just part and parcel of a trend to everyone entering content management," said Tom Jenkins, chief executive of Open Text.

Also at OpenWorld this week, Oracle is expected to detail its plans for querying, reporting and analysis tools to be offered as a separate product, likely to be called Business Intelligence 10g.