Comments on: Oracle’s shrinking campus in Redwood City…

By: Robert Hackett

Robert Hackett — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:53:44 +0000

Considering the fluctuations in real estate prices, I would imagine that these would contribute significantly to standard Gains. Many legacy companies in CA have a large set of assets in the form of real estate. Unless Oracle leases these, I would be surprised if anyone would consider them not “significant” enough to report on.

By: Michelle Leder

Michelle Leder — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:16:39 +0000

It’s been about 10 years since I was immersed in IBM, but they used to have quite a bit of real estate including several million square feet in Dutchess and Ulster counties in not-quite upstate New York. As for the movement of workers, I didn’t mean for it to raise alarm and it certainly shouldn’t be all that surprising to anyone in the tech sector.

By: Kevin Closson

Kevin Closson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:42:04 +0000

I certainly can’t speak on this topic from a position of authority, but as a current Oracle employee and a former IBM employee I can throw out a thought or two. First, IBM is not likely to have any continental US office space management issues to even care about considering the “boutique” locations of so many of their offices. What with Burnett Rd (Austin, TX, but is out in the boonies), Rochester, MN (land is pretty scarce in central Minn) and the out-of-way sprawling RTP campus they just don’t have the same concerns Oracle has. Second, your suspicion that “most of that space has been filled outside the US” would not raise an alarm to most folks who realize this is a global company. However, in spite of the fact that I don’t have the real numbers (because I don’t really care about this stuff), I do know of some very useful space picked up in the Hyperion acquisition. I would think that other acquisitions may have also included at least some space. I couldn’t imagine Oracle buying a company that consisted solely of a website and a post office box.