Oracle pitches its Collaboration Suite to IT managers

At the OracleWorld technology and user conference, Oracle announced a new version of its "collaboration program," a set of tools for e-mail, calendar, Web conferencing and voice mail, which is reportedly set for launch in June 2003. Oracle released an introductory version of the program last month, and reported that fifty of its customers are currently testing the collaboration software. Oracle claims that its next version will include instant messaging, online whiteboard, and other online applications. Oracle clearly is treading on Microsoft's sacred turf with the Oracle Collaboration Suite, which Oracle says costs less than Outlook and is not subject to security holes that some of Microsoft's Outlook customers were reported to have been exposed. Tread on.