Lawson fires 100, blames Oracle

Lawson Software is laying off 100 employees in a cost cutting move, following its most recent earnings disappointment.

What I find hilarious is the new excuse that Lawson has come up with for why its sales are lagging: it is blaming Oracle!

Since earlier this year, Lawson has said its business is being hurt by the ongoing efforts of competitor Oracle Corp. to buy another competitor, PeopleSoft, in an unfriendly takeover. The U.S. Department of Justice opposed the Oracle takeover of PeopleSoft on antitrust grounds, but Oracle won the case earlier this month and continued its takeover bid. As a result, some ERP customers have decided to wait out the battle to see which suppliers remain, Lawson said.

As I recall, back in April during Oracle's anti-trust trial, Lawson took out two full page ads in the Wall Street Journal thanking Oracle for positioning Lawson as a top competitor!

But now, somehow, Oracle is to blame for Lawson's problems. I can see how PeopleSoft might make that claim. But Lawson?

Maybe next quarter they can blame the hurricanes in Florida.

Lawson's hometown paper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has the details.

Related posts
Lawson joins earnings disappointment club