Forrester Makes Sense of the Oracle-BEA DealForrester Makes Sense of the Oracle-BEA Deal

Are you an Oracle or BEA customer trying to make sense of the combination? Forrester's John Rymer and Mike Gilpin have written an extensive analysis of the overlaps and of which products are likely to prevail. Oracle is promising long-term support for BEA products whether they're continued or not. But eventually, say the authors, "carrots and sticks" are likely to prod customers toward the preferred, go-forward products.As for the overlaps, here's a short list:

▪ Oracle Application Server/BEA WebLogic ▪ Oracle Portal/BEA WebLogic Portal ▪ Oracle Web Services Manager/BEA AquaLogic SOA Management ▪ Oracle Data Integrator/BEA AquaLogic Data Services ▪ Oracle BPA Suite/BEA AquaLogic BPM

Long term, those using BEA WebLogic Server, AquaLogic Service Bus, AquaLogic BPM, WebLogic Event Server, WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server and AquaLogic SOA Management are likely to see incentives and/or higher maintenance costs that favor Oracle products, according to Forrester. I'm surprised to see AquaLogic BPM on that list as it's more mature and complete than the Oracle BPA suite, which includes elements sourced from IDS Scheer. AquaLogic BPM has its roots in Fuego, a BPM pioneer that BEA acquired in 2006.

In some cases, Oracle customers are likely to be steered toward BEA products, with BEA integration server products, new event management software and products for telecommunications all on the short list.

To download and read Forrester's extensive analysis, click here. It's the most complete analysis I've come across, but I'd obviously wait for the official Oracle go-forward plan before buying into or bailing out of particular technologies.Are you an Oracle or BEA customer trying to make sense of the combination? Forrester's John Rymer and Mike Gilpin offer an extensive analysis of the overlaps and of which products are likely to prevail. Oracle is promising long-term support for BEA products whether they're continued or not. But eventually, say the authors, "carrots and sticks" are likely to prod customers toward the preferred, go-forward products.