The Hindu Business Line : Oracle bets on Asia for SME package

ORACLE Corporation intends to come out with ERP-type packages for the smaller organisations and expects a substantial response in India and across the Asia-Pacific region. "We are planning something specific for the lowest end of the market,'' said Mr Suresh Kalapaty, Director, SME Business Oracle Asia Pacific, at the Oracle Open World industry conference, here.

There are 44.8 million small enterprises (1-99 employees)in the region, according to an IDC Feb 2004 estimate. The mid-market segment (100-499 employees ) too is a large market for the company both in India and Asia, Mr Kalapaty said, adding that the company sees 50-60 per cent growth rates in catering to the marketing, distribution and retail segments.

Oracle is also incorporating industry-specific setups with the core ERP set up to cater to the government, pharma businesses for instances. The focus on Linux and support for the operating system will be an important strategy for Oracle, as the region witnesses rapid growth and implementation of IT infrastructure.