SAP has on-demand offerings in areas like CRM (customer relationship management), as well as BI (business intelligence) through its BusinessObjects portfolio.

Wookey was a key executive in support of Oracle's ongoing Fusion Applications strategy, which will combine best attributes from the company's various business software lines into a next-generation suite.

His departure from the company last year prompted questions over the Fusion project's status, but the precise reasons why he left have remained unclear.

Oracle has not provided a general release date for the initial Fusion Applications suite, but expects to have it in the hands of early customers late next year.

An Oracle spokeswoman declined comment on Wookey's hiring Tuesday.