Oracle (ORCL) China plans to enter 26 secondary cities in China and recruit more partners to support the needs of mid-market organizations across key industries in China.
Under the initial phase of its mid-market initiative, Oracle China plans to reach 11 cities, primarily within the provincial capitals. They are Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xiamen and Fuzhou in East China, Shenyang and Ji'nan in North China, Xi'an, Urumqi and Chongqing in West China and Zhengzhou and Wuhan in Central China.
With populations ranging from 2 million to 30 million, they are among the fastest growing cities in China, enjoying GDP growths of 12% to 16% in 2004, well above China's 9.5% national GDP growth in 2004.
According to a 2005 status report by the State Development and Planning Commission on small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB), China's SMBs hire 75% of the country's total workforce cities and towns and contribute over 50% of the national GDP.
"Our mid-market business has been one of the key drivers for Oracle's overall business growth in China," said Roger Li, Managing Director, Oracle North China. "Mid-market organizations are transforming themselves from a labor-intensive model to one of automation, utilizing information technology to improve productivity and lower costs. Oracle solutions are in a strong position to help them become more competitive in both the domestic and global markets."
Oracle's goal is to establish presence in 15 more tier-2 cities across China in 2006. Oracle China currently operates out of four offices: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Oracle also has two development centers, in Beijing and Shenzhen.