Posted 9:00 AM

PeopleSoft's Cheerleaders and Clowns

In the latest round of the war of words among Oracle, PeopleSoft (and, oh yes, J.D.Edwards), new ads in major newspapers feature PeopleSoft customers talking about their choice of software. If the people quoted are any good at their job at all, they investigated both Oracle's and PeopleSoft's offerings (as well as SAP's and, oh yes, J.D.Edwards') before making their choice. They chose PeopleSoft. If they were feeling regrets, would PeopleSoft use them in an ad?

Whenever a software vendor offers me the opportunity to interview a customer, I turn it down. The company is not going to line up a customer who isn't wildly enthusiastic about their offering, so there's little I can learn from them. Better to go to a vendor-sponsored event (BrainShare, TechED, LinuxWorld, etc.) and listen to the attendees - they're views on the vendor are much more likely to be honest, if not always accurate.

In a brilliant move, Oracle is also launching a suit against PeopleSoft (and, oh yes, J.D.Edwards) for the blatantly anti-competitive nature of the poison pills (and golden parachutes) PeopleSoft is attempting to use to thwart the takeover attempt.

Oracle has also now raised their tender offer for PeopleSoft shares, a good move. Its remarkable, I think, but Oracle seems to be making all the right moves and PeopleSoft appears to be run by a craven bunch interested only in saving their own jobs. PeopleSoft shareholders, take note. Better check out the weather report for Hades!

Update: Now Connecticut's Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal (evidently peeved that he didn't get in on the ground floor of the Microsoft suit) is threatening to sue Oracle on anti-trust grounds. Mr. Blumenthal shows an evident lack of understanding about anti-trust law, though, when he says "The takeover would cripple competition--threatening higher prices and lower quality--and cause terrible waste in the human and financial investments already made." Not that he has the credentials to judge software quality, mind you. Which, even so, has never been a point in contention for trustbusters! As to the wasted time and effort - what do the J>D.Edwards customers say about that arguement?

Maybe, while I had my back turned, someone started a contest to see who could take on Larry Ellison least effectively? With extra points for looking like a doofus while you're doing it?