Remote computing is a huge thing now, with companies both small and large taking to the cloud. However, the cloud is more than just a layer out there, somewhere. It’s a realm of data, and that data must be managed by a database. Traditional database solutions are not always appropriate for a cloud-enabled business. Now, the question is, what changes are coming to the database world to better enable cloud solutions, and how can Oracle address this issue?

To shed some light on this question, John Furrier and Stu Miniman, cohosts of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, spoke with Andy Mendelsohn at the Oracle OpenWorld 2015 conference. Mendelsohn is the executive VP of database server technologies at Oracle.

Transformations at Oracle

The discussion started with a look at the transformations that have happened within Oracle to meet the challenges of the cloud. Mendelsohn explained that on the inside, very little had changed. The company had been navigating new trends for years, he said, and its reaction to this latest development was the same as usual. The plan, he said, was to look at the landscape, take advantage of what’s going on and do it in a way that doesn’t require customers to change a line of code.

That’s not to say Oracle hadn’t produced anything new. Mendelsohn described a number of database cloud services the company was offering to help stake its claim in this changing landscape. Oracle had also developed new technologies that would allow enterprise customers to run their biggest and heaviest applications in the cloud.

Lowering costs in the face of competition

Operational expenditures have been a major concern for any tech company. Running infrastructure costs serious money. Larger companies have already made that investment, so who is adopting the cloud? Smaller companies, Mendelsohn said, that want someone else to take over their IT operations for them. This lowers their operating costs. Mendelsohn then added that Oracle’s heavier cloud tech would take away a lot of the blockages for big guys, as well.

Beyond the cost savings of the cloud, Oracle had other ways to compete. Mendelsohn explained the development group was focused on delivering new services on the cloud, including its Big Data services. He also said it was layering other capabilities on top of these services, giving analytics tools as an example.

Watch the full video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Oracle OpenWorld 2015. And join in on the conversation by CrowdChatting with theCUBE hosts.

Photo by SiliconANGLE