In another twist to a lawsuit
between software rivals SAP and Oracle, SAP said Monday, November 19, that
several senior managers of its TomorrowNow unit, including the unit’s CEO, have
resigned. SAP also said it is considering several options for the future of the
TomorrowNow business, including a possible sale.
TomorrowNow is the software support unit at the heart of
Oracle’s lawsuit alleging that SAP committed “corporate theft on a grand
scale.”
TomorrowNow CEO Andrew Nelson and several members of his
senior management team are leaving the company, SAP said. Mark White, who was
appointed in July 2007 as executive chairman of TomorrowNow, will continue in
that role.
“Our primary focus is TomorrowNow’s existing customers, who
will be supported through this management transition,” White said in a
statement.
TomorrowNow offers support services to clients running
various Oracle product lines, such as PeopleSoft software. In March, Oracle sued
SAP, accusing it of stealing support materials.
In July, SAP said TomorrowNow
was authorized to download materials from Oracle’s Web site on behalf of
TomorrowNow customers, but acknowledged “some inappropriate downloads.” SAP also
said the U.S. Department of Justice has requested that SAP and TomorrowNow
provide certain documents.
Despite SAP’s admission of improper downloads, some see a bright future for using a third-party company to support HR software and other
applications.
—Ed
Frauenheim
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