Oracle Triples the Reach of the Internet / Enables New Category of Wireless E-Business Applications

Geneva (PROTEXT) - TELECOM'99 - Ships New Internet Software"Oracle(R) Portal-to-Go" as Ellison Confirms "The Internet HasPushed the PC Off-Stage" Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL), the number one choice for e-business, today announced the availability of its Oracle(R)Portal-to-Go wireless Internet software, the world's firstextension of e-business and Internet access to the wirelessworld. Virtually tripling the reach of the Internet, OraclePortal-to-Go (formerly code-named "Project Panama") will allowany wireless device to access Internet content and e-services.Fundamentally, it will transform telecommunications companiesinto a new generation of "wireless e-service providers," andenable any business or content provider to tap the full potentialof the wireless market. In prefacing the announcement during his keynote at Telecom'99, Lawrence J. Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Oracle Corp.,declared victory for his vision of low-cost and easy Internetaccess from any computing device, including mobile phones,televisions, PDAs and other wireless appliances. "Four years ago at Telecom '95 I made some people very angrywhen I said the PC is a ridiculous device," Ellison said. "Nowthe Internet has pushed the PC off stage, and will eventuallychange, not just the industry, but our economies and cultures."He continued, "I further predict that Europe, with its two yearlead in digital wireless telephony, will surpass the US innumbers of Internet users. Ultimately, worldwide, wireless accessto the Internet will exceed PC access." "The cell phone removed the physical constraints caused bywires that connected users to the 'network' -- at least for voicetraffic; however, data users largely have been unable to connectto the Internet without wires. That is about to change,"according to GartnerGroup, "Wireless Access: An E-Business GrowthHormone", September 1999 report. "By 2005, more than 1 billionmobile phones will be in use worldwide (0.7 probability). Bycontrast, the number of PC-based Internet users will not evenexceed the number of mobile phones currently in use worldwide(305 million) before 2002. If e-business is a byproduct of theInternet evolution; wireless access technologies are a growthenabler for e-business." Oracle Portal-to-Go is Internet software that enablesvirtually any wireless device to access any existing web ordatabase application or content, including secure e-businessapplications. By extending Internet access beyond today's PC-based access points to the 305 million wireless handsets in use,Oracle Portal-to-Go opens the door to a rapidly expanding marketthat is three times larger than that of today's Internet users.It will allow wireless carriers to provide a host of new e-services to their customers. "As a key Internet content provider, we are very excited atthe prospect of being able to increase our reach threefoldovernight. We see the wireless category as a big opportunity forus, since research has indicated that driving directions are themost frequently requested wireless application," said DavidIngerman, vice president, Marketing of Mapquest (MQST). "WithOracle Portal-to-Go, Mapquest will reach users on any wirelessdevice and we don't have to rewrite our content or worry aboutthe standards involved." Built on Oracle's Internet database software, Oracle Portal-to-Go is standards based and highly-scaleable to meet the high-volume demand requirements of the telecommunications market. Without limiting wireless carriers to a single, proprietaryformat, or type of device, Oracle Portal-to-Go instantly andautomatically translates Internet and database content intowhatever format a user's device requires. Carriers are freed tofocus on reducing churn by building value-added, localizedservices instead of scrambling to re-code content every time astandard changes or technology improves. Combining Oracle Portal-to-Go's web, database and security features, wireless carrierscan instantly become broad range e-commerce service providers. Built on Oracle Portal-to-Go, global telecom giants, includingCegetel, E-Plus, Libertel and Telia Mobile, have alreadydeveloped a broad array of new e-services such as mobile e-travel, mobile banking, ticket purchasing, flight information,real-time auctions, mobile stock trading, mobile messaging andmobile contact management. In as little as a few hours, carrierscan create and deploy new wireless e-business services. "This creates a tremendous new opportunity for us," said PatMcVey, CEO of OpenSky. "Oracle Portal-to-Go will allow us tooffer an array of customized e-services to our mobile users, aswell as extend the rich content of the Internet. Oracle Portal-to-Go gives us unparalleled flexibility and scalability indesigning Internet services for any wireless device withoutwriting a single line of code." Oracle Corporation is the world's leading supplier of softwarefor information management, and the world's second largestsoftware company. With annual revenues of more than $9.1 billion,the company offers its database, application server, tools andapplication products, along with related consulting, educationand support services, in more than 145 countries around theworld. For more information about Oracle, please call 650-506-7000.Oracle's World Wide Web address is (URL) http://www.oracle.com/. Trademarks Oracle is a registered trademark and Portal-to-Go is atrademark or registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Othernames may be trademarks of their respective owners. ots OriginalText Service: Oracle Corporation Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Gaye Hudson of Oracle Corp.,44-118-924-5322, or gjhudson@uk.oracle.com; or BurghardtTenderich of Applied Communications, 31-20-301-2119, orbtenderich@appliedcom.com, for Oracle; or Oracle PR Hotline,(USA) 650-506-4176; or Oracle Telecom'99 Press Office, 41-22-799-9996 (October 12-13) Company News On-Call:http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/100462.html or Fax, (USA) 800-758-5804, ext. 100462 Web site: http://www.oracle.com

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