Oracle and Symbian enter strategic alliance to bring enterprise data access to wireless information devices

Industry leaders team to integrate Oracle Lite database with Symbian’s EPOC operating system

REDWOOD SHORES, California - November 4, 1998 - Oracle Corp. and Symbian today announced a strategic relationship to bring an extensive range of mobile enterprise computing solutions and services to the rapidly growing wireless market. Symbian, a joint venture between Psion, Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia, will work with Oracle to enable the EPOC operating system to provide real-time, wireless access to data residing in Oracle databases - enabling EPOC based devices to deliver world-class solutions to enterprise customers.

"This strategic relationship with Symbian extends Oracle’s strength in enterprise information management to wireless information devices," said Denise Lahey, Vice President of Embedded Database Technologies at Oracle. "Oracle Lite running on EPOC-based devices will allow companies to work more efficiently by bringing the power of Oracle information management to each and every employee, regardless of location or computing platform."

The Oracle Lite client database and Symbian’s EPOC operating system will allow applications and data on EPOC based devices to be replicated, synchronized and shared with Oracle databases, extending enterprise applications from the data center to the wireless arena. The relationship is expected to generate a range of products and services over time.

Forecasts provided by Nokia estimate that there will be approximately 300 million wireless subscribers by the end of 1998. A growing number of these will be using pocketable mobile phones with advanced communications features and high quality color displays.

"With Symbian establishing EPOC as a world standard operating system for wireless information devices, smartphones and communicators will become part of daily life in the corporate world and for millions," commented Simon East, Vice President, Technology at Symbian. "With this important announcement Oracle and Symbian seek to extend the reach of information resources in the enterprise."

According to Database Associates International, Oracle databases hold more than half of the world's relational data, and are implemented at 97 percent of Fortune 100 companies to power their corporate computing environments. Oracle Lite contains advanced replication features designed to work seamlessly with Oracle databases, including bi-directional replication over wireless networks, the Internet and a variety of other standard networks such as cellular, digital, packet-radio, dial-up and local area network connections.

About Symbian

Symbian licenses, develops and supports the EPOC operating system - providing leading software, user interfaces, application frameworks and development tools for wireless information devices such as Communicators and Smartphones. Symbian aims to promote standards for the interoperation of wireless information devices with wireless networks, content services, messaging and enterprise wide solutions.

With headquarters in London, and offices in Kanazawa, Japan and the San Francisco Bay Area, Symbian is owned by Psion, Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia.
Symbian

About Oracle

Oracle Corporation is the world's leading supplier of software for information management, and the world's second largest software company. With annual revenues of more than $7.5 billion, the company offers its database, application server, tools and application products along with related consulting, education and support services, in more than 140 countries around the world.
Oracle

Oracle is a registered trademark of and Oracle8 is a trademark or registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Symbian and the EPOC logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symbian Ltd. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Media Enquiries

Please direct enquiries to: Symbian Ltd +44 207 154 1383 press@symbian.com

For further information: Oracle Corporation 650/506-7000