ITAM Review Oracle Seminar NY SLC Corporation Presentation

1. Platinum Sponsor
Demystifying The Oracle
Relationship
(The Top 5 Mistakes Customers Make)
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015

2. Platinum Sponsor
Background
Ed Ramirez
Chief Strategy Officer / Co-Founder of SLC
• Worked at Oracle for over 6 years as VP of Sales and ran a $94M
business unit.
• Worked with Fortune 100 accounts both inside Oracle and outside
Oracle
• Led multiple sales divisions at Oracle
• Since leaving Oracle became the foremost Oracle licensing expert
• Been performing advisory roll for the last 14 years
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015

3. Platinum Sponsor
Is Oracle a Strategic Partner for you?
For the vast majority of our clients the answer is Yes!
• In the top 5 most important technology vendors for US clients
• Most significant re-occurring cost for Clients
• Typically demands significant executive level interaction
• Among the mega vendors supporting companies
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015

4. Platinum Sponsor
Mistake #1: If we have a good relationship
Oracle will not audit us (fear based
relationship)
• Sales nominates not Oracle LMS
• Audit Nominations
• Good cop bad cop
As phrased by one of our clients... “Oracle is a coin operated machine!”
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015

5. Platinum Sponsor
Mistake #2: Sharing strategic information
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015
Most organizations share information they don’t need to and end
up spending more money with Oracle due to soft audits.

6. Platinum Sponsor
Mistake #3: A direct relationship with Oracle is
better than going through a VAR (strategic)
• VAR’s can insulate you from audits
• Oracle VAR’s will help you with pricing
• No end of year sales pressure
• VAR’s can honor price hold pricing
• VAR’s can be a great relationship broker
• VAR’s can honor all contract terms
Case Study:
Large Healthcare provider in California
Oracle sales had a very interactive relationship with CIO.
Client was nominated for an audit due to weak sales forecast.
Procurement department introduced a VAR into the account.
VAR was able to table the audit and convinced the Oracle
sales team to secure discounts that allowed the client to justify
a much smaller Oracle purchase. Audit would have revealed a
$1M gap.
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015

7. Platinum Sponsor
Mistake #4: Giving Oracle employee status
• Oracle sales reps sit on our IT planning calls
• Our Oracle sales reps have key cards to our office
• Our Oracle rep has a desk at our office
Case Study
Large High End Retailer
Oracle sales reps had key cards to enter at will and collect data from client. Best case pricing
ever received was 50%.
Once key card access was revoked and reseller inserted to provide competitive pricing
discounts went from 50% to 68%
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015
IT staff can think of the Oracle rep as a friend or an integral part of their
business unit, leading to giving away sensitive or strategic information which
can have negative consequences.

8. Platinum Sponsor
Mistake #5: A good relationship will get me
free resources
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 29th 2015
• Our sales team is proposing a complimentary Insight Program
• Oracle LMS is going to work with us on our ULA certification
• Oracle is providing consultants for free
Case Study
Leading Plastic Container Manufacturer
CIO had a relationship with Larry Ellison and the VP of IT was on the cover of Oracle
Magazine. Based on this great relationship the sales team proposed a no cost Insight
Program to optimize their applications. (low sales forecast)
2 weeks into the Insight Program customer was found out of compliance on Electronic Order
Lines totaling $1.5 Million. No audit was conducted and LMS was not involved.

9. Platinum Sponsor
Avoid the Mistakes!
ITAM Review Oracle Seminar, New York January 28th 2015
1. Protect your self against an audit
2. Protect your data. You do not have to share anything unless you
are under audit
3. Don’t give away your audit rights because you have good
relationship
4. Beware of any free services
5. Create competition where there is non
Remember that you are in the drivers seat. You control the cadence of
the relationship.