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Amazon just obtained a new competitor for its Amazon Web Services cloud hosting and development platform. Oracle is going head-to-head with Amazon with a slew of more than 24 new additions to the Oracle Cloud Platform. Oracle's new integrated cloud services include infrastructure, platform and software delivered as a service. Specific cloud-based services include hosted Exadata-based production databases, archive storage, Big Data, enterprise mobility, and application integration. Oracle says it offers the same products, with 100% compatibility, in the cloud and on premises, which means that companies can move to and from the cloud without changing applications. Furthermore, workloads can be moved to the cloud instantly. "Oracle is growing really fast," said Larry Ellison, CTO of Oracle, in public remarks. "Oracle is the only company on the planet that can deliver a complete, integrated, standards-based suite of services at every layer of the cloud. Those technology advantages enable us to be much more cost-effective than our competitors. Our new Archive Storage service goes head-to-head with Amazon Glacier and it's one-tenth their price."

Vendor eyes multi-channel as it builds cloud portfolio. Oracle is hitting retailers with a flood of enterprise software as it seeks to establish itself as a key cloud player in the market. The software vendor will launch six products covering critical ecommerce, customer engagement, order management, order fulfilment, loss prevention, and brand compliance. Jill Puleri, SVP and GM at Oracle Retail, said: "Retailers looking for agility, performance, and cost predictability are increasingly considering the cloud. "The new Oracle Retail Cloud Services help eliminate the time and cost constraints that too often hamper retailers' ability to respond to new opportunities for growth." Many of the products are dedicated to enabling multi-channel operations, a focus for retailers seeking to integrate their online and offline business amid rising customer expectations.

Vendor eyes multi-channel as it builds cloud portfolio. Oracle is hitting retailers with a flood of enterprise software as it seeks to establish itself as a key cloud player in the market. The software vendor will launch six products covering critical ecommerce, customer engagement, order management, order fulfilment, loss prevention, and brand compliance. Jill Puleri, SVP and GM at Oracle Retail, said: "Retailers looking for agility, performance, and cost predictability are increasingly considering the cloud. "The new Oracle Retail Cloud Services help eliminate the time and cost constraints that too often hamper retailers' ability to respond to new opportunities for growth." Many of the products are dedicated to enabling multi-channel operations, a focus for retailers seeking to integrate their online and offline business amid rising customer expectations.

"Oracle, of Redwood Shores, Calif., whose products are used by retailers in their back offices as well as on the shopping floor, said customers including Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NASDAQ:DECK), maker of UGG and Teva shoes, has deployed Oracle Retail Platform in global operations as well as 70 stores to improve performance and analysis. Russia's M Video, a consumer electronics retailer, had deployed Oracle Commerce software to connect 280 stores in at least 120 cities. As well, it might tap other products, including Endeca and Oracle ATG Web Commerce in 280 stores in 120 Russian cities. Oracle already sells systems and services to the top 20 global retailers, including human resources software and customer relationship management (CRM) systems to compete with IBM, Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) and others."

As retailers expand, effective merchandising and efficient store operations are critical to ensuring the customer experience and item performance translate to new marketplaces. C. Wonder is using Oracle Retail and has opted for a cloud software-as-a-service deployment that allowed them to shorten the implementation time, while offering best-in-class systems and supporting flexibility to grow.

As retailers expand, effective merchandising and efficient store operations are critical to ensuring the customer experience and item performance translate to new marketplaces. C. Wonder is using Oracle Retail and has opted for a cloud software-as-a-service deployment that allowed them to shorten the implementation time, while offering best-in-class systems and supporting flexibility to grow.

The September issue of University Business includes the following article highlighting how financial aid offices are drowning in a sea of reports, but the right software and strategies can make it possible to handle the increase in reports. The article highlights how universities, such as California State University (CSU), and software providers are handling the data deluge. The article includes comment from Dean Kulju, director of student financial services and programs, California State University, who notes that he likes the flexibility of CSU's software (Oracle PeopleSoft for the majority of campuses) and the ability it gives CSU to customize but he would like to see more movement towards providing universally accepted or required reports being used by institutions nationally. The article also includes comment by Gary Allen, senior strategy manager, Oracle Higher Education, who notes that financial aid offices can manage better outcomes by knowing their audience and what will make most sense to them.

Tony Kontzer's article on Ovation Brands - including a quote from CIO Patrick Benson - was called out in the editor's note at the beginning of the special report. "Those who have gone beyond testing the waters are finding there is no looking back. In Tony Kontzer's cover story, Ovation Brands CIO Patrick Benson recounts how the chain restaurant operator was faced with an outdated IT infrastructure and needed help fast; it found it in software as a service. "The major difference in the journey has been the warp speed at which we were really able to do this. It wasn't artificial or forced. It's just an organically faster process," Benson said. "We used to wait a day or two just to get the previous day's performance information. That stuff now becomes real-time."

Tony Kontzer's article on Ovation Brands - including a quote from CIO Patrick Benson - was called out in the editor's note at the beginning of the special report. "Those who have gone beyond testing the waters are finding there is no looking back. In Tony Kontzer's cover story, Ovation Brands CIO Patrick Benson recounts how the chain restaurant operator was faced with an outdated IT infrastructure and needed help fast; it found it in software as a service. "The major difference in the journey has been the warp speed at which we were really able to do this. It wasn't artificial or forced. It's just an organically faster process," Benson said. "We used to wait a day or two just to get the previous day's performance information. That stuff now becomes real-time."

Dell Services introduced new solutions utilizing top-tier enterprise software to help midsize organizations boost their competitive edge. With a new Oracle Business Accelerators certification and distinction as an Oracle Accelerate solution provider, Dell

Highlighting that Oracle rolled out plans to enter the public cloud business at the company's OpenWorld conference. The article also notes that Larry Ellison said Oracle Public Cloud would be available on a monthly subscription basis and would combine platform-as-a-service and software-as-a-service capabilities.

The Sept. 8 edition of IT World Canada includes the following article highlighting the announcement of Oracle's new data center opening in Canada. The article quotes Mario Meroni, area vice president for Oracle Canada Public Sector, who discusses how the new data center addresses the issue of data residency and gives public sector organizations the ability to leverage Software as a Service in the cloud.

The Sept. 8 edition of IT World Canada includes the following article highlighting the announcement of Oracle's new data center opening in Canada. The article quotes Mario Meroni, area vice president for Oracle Canada Public Sector, who discusses how the new data center addresses the issue of data residency and gives public sector organizations the ability to leverage Software as a Service in the cloud.

With the addition of Oracle Retail Insights and Oracle Retail Science, Oracle is now a "one-stop cloud shop"; with 17 different software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud offerings available for large and mid-size retailers, explained David Dorf, Senior Director of Solutions Management in an exclusive interview with Retail TouchPoints. ..."The SaaS offerings are much more affordable for mid-tier retailers, in part because they are paying for what they use," Dorf noted. "We are now able to avail cloud science to smaller retailers."

Article highlighting Silver Spring Networks' launch of its cloud service, SilverLink, to help share smart grid data. The article notes that the kind of tight operational integration that Silver Spring does with meter data management software partners, such as Oracle, is several levels of complexity higher than the data presentment it's doing via SilverLink. The article also mentions Oracle Utilities' "Big Data, Bigger Opportunities" survey, noting that a significant number of utilities that have deployed smart meters aren't putting their data to use for business processes and decision-making.

Table-service restaurant operators know from hard-won experience how vital cost controls are to profitability and growth. Factors as diverse as portion control, inventory management, waste minimization, and labor costs all need to be kept in line in order for a restaurant to maintain acceptable profit margins. If one or more of these factors veers too far off, no amount of volume will make up for the imbalance.