Big Blue lifeboat sets sail in Oracle channel

IBM has launched a migration programme aimed at Oracle customers it believes have been the victims of a series of price rises across its software and hardware portfolio.

Big Blue claims clients can shave up to 50% from applicable IT costs over a three to five year timeframe by switching, and is also throwing in a0% financing or six-month deferred payment offer to sweeten the deal.

Customers currently using Oracle software on Sun, HP Itanium or previous generation POWER servers will also be able to take advantage of a savings assessment, migration plan and skills training package when moving to IBM DB2 and WebSphere software, the company said.

IBM has pitched its programme at Oracle customers who are "looking for relief from the company's high software and hardware maintenance costs, restrictive licensing and support practices, and uncertainty around Sun SPARC and HP Itanium roadmaps."

By its own reckoning, IBM displaced 253 Oracle-Sun server and storage system customers in Q2, and 248 from HP.