Oracle looks to planning apps for its next billions

August 17, 2009 from InfoWorld – “Oracle is devoting two full days and 70 sessions at the upcoming OpenWorld conference to its Primavera PPM (project portfolio management) software, which is used to track and manage the torrent of people, assets, timelines and expenses associated with projects and services engagements.

It's no accident that Oracle has decided to give such a high-profile showcase to Primavera, which it acquired last year. While PPM software may not be sexy, demand for it is growing explosively. Forrester Research expects what it defines as the "project based solutions" market to reach $6.5 billion by 2010, up from $4.25 billion in 2007…”

180 View – PPM is more than just managing a project. Primavera does that – so does Microsoft Project and many other products. Per Oracle’s website – “Companies turn to Primavera project portfolio management solutions to help them make better portfolio management decisions, evaluate the risks and rewards associated with projects, and determine whether there are sufficient resources with the right skills to accomplish the work.” PPM makes sense for any company with competing projects, and require a methodology and tools to help evaluate which ones to pursue.