Oracle plans to support and assist systems integrators who currently specialize in one of Oracle's previously available business application lines, such as E-Business Suite and PeopleSoft, said Michelle Hallett, vice president, Oracle Diamond alliances, worldwide alliances and channels.

"All of your foundational skills with Oracle are going to be relevant whether you deploy in the cloud, on-premises or a combination of the two," she said.

"It's about evolving your practice," Althoff said. "We're investing heavily in applications that enable customer choice."

"You're going to evolve with us to capture this opportunity and we've set up a system to allow you to do so," he added. "Moving to the cloud will be easier with us than with any other platform."

The IDG News Service