No to Oracle, say JD Edwards users

Customers of JD Edwards are almost universally opposed to the company being swallowed up by Oracle, but are in favour of a merger with PeopleSoft, according to an online poll conducted by a JD Edwards user group.

Some 96 per cent of JD Edwards customers polled by Quest indicated that, if Oracle acquired PeopleSoft after it had acquired JD Edwards, JD Edwards' users would be left out in the cold.

But 80 per cent of JD Edwards customers support the merger with PeopleSoft, the survey revealed.

Dave Watts, president of Quest, an independent group which represents JD Edwards users in more than 50 countries, said in a statement: "We believe that the Oracle deal would significantly reduce the number and quality of choices for consumers of enterprise software."

The view is shared by UK users. Paul Every, head of corporate systems for the States of Jersey Treasury, who voted in the Quest poll, said: "If Oracle bought JD Edwards as part of PeopleSoft, would there be an upgrade path? JD Edwards users would just be the poor relation.

"Oracle does not want to improve the customers' lot. It wants to remove a player from the market."

But Every suggested that a merger between JD Edwards and PeopleSoft would be "a positive move because PeopleSoft is stronger in payroll and human resources software and in local government".

Steve Phillips, business applications manager at Tandberg Television, which uses JD Edwards' OneWorld software, said: "JD Edwards would probably go to the wall without a merger and PeopleSoft is the least worst fit.

"About 80 per cent of JD Edwards users have resisted moving from World to OneWorld software, but they will have to at some point and that's a massive customer base for PeopleSoft to pick up if the merger goes through.

"It would create a company with more clout if they took the best of breed products with a sensible upgrade path. But if Oracle takes over PeopleSoft it would dump JD Edwards' product development."

Despite Oracle taking out full-page adverts making public its commitment to PeopleSoft customers that it will not shut down products and force a move to Oracle applications, users remain unconvinced.

"The 'sound bites' from Oracle's upper management suggest that this deal is not intended to benefit consumers by enhancing the current product offerings of either company, but rather to remove one competitor from the marketplace," said Watts.

"The loser in the end won't be JD Edwards, PeopleSoft or Oracle. It will be users, such as those represented by Quest."

The views will no doubt boost JD Edwards and its chairman and president Bob Dutkowsky (pictured), who has described Oracle's actions as "arrogant, unlawful and destructive."