July 11, 2003 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — While the Oracle (oracle.com) bid for PeopleSoft (peoplesoft.com) remains uncertain, it is unlikely that another company will step in and provide an alternative to the Oracle acquisition, says research firm Gartner Inc. (gartner.com)
According to Gartner, the current positions of other vendors in the infrastructure and application markets make it unlikely that a ?white knight? scenario will take place.
?After examining the opportunities for these other vendors, we believe PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards prospects and users should consider a ‘white knight’ scenario as a low probability when considering their options,? said Betsy Burton, vice president and research director for Gartner. ?However, most vendors’ strategies will be impacted by this pivotal event in the next two years. Applications users should accordingly evaluate if and how, in light of this event, their current providers will support them.?
Gartner?s research is not intended to suggest that an alternative is required, but rather considers the scenarios for vendors such as Microsoft, IBM and HP were they to make a counteroffer.
