Verizon to Offer Customers Pay-per-hour Access to Oracle Software

Verizon Enterprise Solutions and Oracle recently announced that they have formed an agreement that will allow customers to use Oracle Database and Oracle Fusion Middleware on Verizon’s cloud infrastructure, according to a joint statement released by the two companies.

The deal will allow clients to operate their own Oracle licenses on the Verizon platform or purchase Verizon cloud services, which already include Oracle licenses. Clients, which also include current Verizon eCloud and Managed Hosting customers, will pay for access on an hourly basis. The companies said in the statement that the collaboration is “critical” for Global 1,000 companies in industries like financial services, retail and energy because they can leverage existing assets, gain efficiencies in the cloud and pay for only what they need rather than having to purchase perpetual licenses.

"With Oracle, we're helping enterprises transform their operations with the cloud," said John Stratton, president, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, in a statement. "Few companies begin with a complete cloud environment, and the benefits of migrating to the cloud have at times been outweighed by the challenges and costs associated with making a change. Oracle and Verizon have now removed those obstacles.”

Oracle customers also have pay-per-hour access on Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Windows Azure, however, Verizon offers a “much more complete and enterprise-ready set of Oracle capabilities,” John Considine, CTO of Verizon Terremark, told CNN.

Industry experts see the partnership as a way for Verizon to compete with Amazon Web services after announcing its cloud service last October. The Verizon Cloud is still in beta mode, but companies interested in signing up can learn more on the Verizon Enterprise Solutions Web site.

Verizon’s partnership with Oracle precedes one with F5 Networks, which will provide security management and network traffic for the Verizon Cloud, and NetApp, which provide virtual storage appliance for Verizon Cloud clients.