NORWAY, Dec. 15, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Telenor has signed a global partnership agreement with Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies. The agreement gives Telenor worldwide non-exclusive rights to use Oracle's technology platform as the basis for ASP (Application Service Provider) and outsourcing services. Telenor is one of the first companies in Europe to enter into such an agreement with Oracle.
Telenor can now offer the many customers using Oracle's technology platform ASP services in addition to outsourcing and systems integration. The agreement covers a number of products from Oracle, most important among which are the application server iAS and the database 8i.
"We are very pleased with this agreement and expect a great deal from the collaboration. Oracle's products are very popular in the market, and we look forward to offering customers a more complete array of products than we could before," says Tarje Holskil, division director of Telenor Business Solutions. "Offering Oracle's products as a part of our ASP package is absolutely necessary if Telenor are to reach its goal of being a major European supplier."
"We believe that ASP is the future and that Telenor now has a unique opportunity to establish a leading position in the ASP market," says Stein Surlien, managing director of Oracle Norge. " We have worked hard to adapt our products to new uses, such as ASP. Security and expandability are two important characteristics that together with Telenor's broad experience and expertise promise well for our common future," Surlien concludes.
Telenor's ASP Platform
ASP services involve leasing and running software that is distributed to users through the telecom network. Telenor is targeting ASP in the Scandinavian and European markets through its subsidiaries Telenor Business Solutions and Nextra. In addition, Telenor's ASP platform Login is distributed through a comprehensive network of partners. Earlier this week Telenor signed a partnership agreement with the Danish IT consultancy Columbus IT Partner, which, among other things, involves Columbus' leasing 900 Login connection points for its own organization. Today, Login has approx. 4,300 connection points. As part of the Oracle agreement Telenor Business Solutions will develop its own operating expertise in Oracle's products in order to become a Certified Solution Partner, authorized to provide service and support.
About Oracle
Oracle Corporation is the leading supplier of e-business solutions and infrastructure. With annual sales of USD 10.1 billion, the company offers databases, tools, applications, training, support and consultancy services in more than 145 countries.