Solution providers have been following the announcement that Oracle filed suit against SAP, an archival company.  The lawsuit stresses that SAP has been allegedly viewing Oracle’s confidential customer-support materials using log-ins of shared customers between the two companies.  The customer log-in information apparently comes from SAP’s TomorrowNow solution providers roster.  However, outside solution providers say that this use of log-in IDs and passwords is legal and part of routine checks necessary to keep services running.

The lawsuit was filed late last week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California and is calling out SAP for using Oracle’s systems “under false pretexts.”  While using log-ins is a routine process, according to experts and other solution providers within the industry, the key to determination of wrong-doing will be figuring out if the uses of the passwords of more than 24 customers that were about to drop support services to go with SAP were authorized.  Other solution providers, including those from Rimini Street and NetCustomer state that their employees have committed similar acts to access account information at Oracle on behalf of their clients.  Most state it is very common.  

The lawsuit filed by Oracle does confirm that SAP’s employees have some right as contractors working for clients to use Oracle customer log-ins and passwords to get support materials.  But the case also involves a complaint that SAP employees downloaded materials besides just those that their clients could and should access.  Oracle’s product licenses clearly state that customers of the solution providers can only take support materials relevant to licensed products.  In January, 2007 there is record of, for example, just one of Oracle clients’ log-ins being used, presumably by SAP employees to access over 2,000 software and support materials that were not authorized.  

Solution providers and experts also state that this part of the lawsuit presents the question, “Why did users have access to materials they couldn’t legally take?”  It presents possible security problems for Oracle.  

For more information on this lawsuit related to the solution providers channel, visit the attached link.

Created By:  Computer Consulting Kit