Sun partner Frontline launches Oracle practice

Sun Microsystems partner Frontline has launched an Oracle practice as the integrator shifts its focus from hardware sales to professional services and software.

The Oracle practice was launched following the Oracle Sun merger and will be an addition to Frontline's storage practice and virtualisation practice.

Bill Frangeskakis, general manager at Frontline Systems said the Oracle practice was an additional opportunity to capture.

"We started it last year off the back of the Oracle acquisition. Also, a lot of our customers would talk to us about business intelligence software (BI).

Frontline's Oracle business has resources in both Sydney and Melbourne, he said.

Resources will be spread to Frontline's Canberra and South Australian offices as demand grows.

"We started with three people and now we're at eight. We're at a person a month at the moment given the uptake around the client base," he said.

Frangeskakis said Frontline is shifting its focus into a software and professional services and from its traditional hardware business.

"Our professional services encompasses all our practices," he said.

Oracle channel support

Frangeskakis said Oracle has supported the new practice by facilitating in "engagements" with customers

He said, Oracle "sees us as being very strategic, both from the Sun side, and now this Oracle practice", despite the fact that Oracle has shifted resources out of Sun's channel program and into its direct sales arm.

"Are [Sun/Oracle] moving fast enough? The answer is: we're relatively agile, small and nimble compared to Oracle and the obvious answer is, no.

"Of course we'd like them to move faster, but they're a big organisation and they have challenges around speed of execution.

In February, Oracle announced that it will bypass the channel and go direct to enterprise customers - Frontline's core customers base.

Frangeskakis said that policy has been "misread".

"Yes, Oracle wants to have a direct relationship with the top end of town. But that does not preclude partners from working with Oracle in those accounts.

"We are in the majority of their major accounts and we're adding value to that engagement. We do not see it as an impediment.

"We feel confident partnering with Oracle - there is no doubt about that."