The second day of the Oracle CloudWorld 2024 kicked off with Oracle’s CEO Safra Catz’s keynote address that in more ways than one indicated the company’s future direction. Oracle is looking at deeper ways of working with partners and also creating collaborations, even with its rivals such as Amazon Web Service, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, to address the needs of the new world order.
Technology, Anywhere
Catz emphasised the culmination of Oracle’s 47-year journey, driven by technological advancements in cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). These innovations, combined with long-term customer relationships, have positioned Oracle as a strategic partner that is bringing new technologies to life for its customers, according to her.
“The unique nature of Oracle’s cloud infrastructure shows its flexibility and performance. It is designed to allow customers to operate in any environment they choose, whether it be in a private cloud, public cloud, dedicated region or even on a ship,” Catz said. The focus on adaptability ensures that Oracle’s technology can be deployed globally and cater to a wide range of customer needs, including those with highly specialised or secure requirements.
The Frienemies
One of the key announcements in the week was around Oracle’s expanding partnerships with competitors, such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS). This collaboration allows Oracle’s customers to run Oracle’s platforms and applications across multiple environments. According to Catz, these partnerships put the customer first and give them multiple choices. The approach reaffirms Oracle’s commitment to delivering flexible, high-performance technology solutions that empower customers to operate without being constrained by infrastructure limitations.
She referenced these partnerships as a return to Oracle’s foundational principle of open systems and interoperability, embodied in the ‘Open World’ ethos, which has become a hallmark of Oracle’s cloud strategy.
The New World
Catz spoke about Oracle’s AI-driven technologies, particularly the autonomous database, which leverages AI to automate many aspects of data management, resulting in significant performance gains. She highlighted how AI and generative AI are integrated into Oracle’s Fusion applications, providing customers with powerful tools to streamline operations and unlock new capabilities.
Acknowledging the importance of Oracle’s partnerships with customers and how these relationships drive innovation and success, she explained that many customers are not merely adopting new technology but actively leveraging it to fuel their technological revolutions, positioning themselves ahead of the curve.
BW Businessworld is attending SuiteWorld in Las Vegas as a guest of Oracle CloudWorld 2024
