News
Intellient feels the heat
21st June 2007 > iWeek
Rough deal as Oracle opens up Hyperion distribution network.
ORACLE has declared that any members of its extensive global partner network can distribute and support products from Hyperion Solutions - the business intelligence firm it bought for .3 billion in March. This decision, taken by the Oracle execs, was communicated to partners in the May Hyperion solutions conference in Lyon. It is bad news for local tech firm Intellient - part of the EOH Group, and currently the exclusive Hyperion distributor in South Africa.
A source close to Intellient tells iWeek that the deal effectively ends Intellient's exclusive right to distribute Hyperion products.
Adrian van der Merwe, MD of 8th Man Consulting - which consults to Hyperion - confirms this: "Oracle has stated that its partner network supersedes the Hyperion partner network." Existing Hyperion distributors will, of course, also be allowed to continue, he adds. "Intellient is a Hyperion business, their focus software sales and support business," says Van der Merwe, adding that it is likely that the Hyperion BI products will be rebranded under Oracle-Hyperion.
Intellient's MD Marc Scheepbouwer says: "things are unclear at this point," refusing to say how much revenue Intellient brings in each year from its Hyperion-related business.
At the time of the Hyperion acquisition, many international analysts expressed concern that customers' business intelligence choices are becoming increasingly limited (Oracle also bought another BI firm, Siebel Systems, last year).
Van der Merwe feels it should be good news for the consumer: "following the acquisition, local customers will be able to obtain software and services for Hyperion products from any of Oracle's long list of partners."
Oracle's VP for South Africa and Ireland, Nicky Sheridan, could not be reached before the time of publication.
