In the end we're going to do what the customers want, independently of what Oracle chooses to do,” he [Tim Yeaton, Red Hat senior VP of worldwide marketing ] added, maintaining additionally that there has been no change in the relationship between Red Hat and Oracle in recent months. “In the field and in engineering, our relationship with Oracle is very strong.”

Some analysts have been speculating that Oracle may announce a partnership with a Linux vendor, a lesser-known but emerging version of Linux called Ubuntu. Three weeks ago, Jeffries & Co. analyst Katherine Egbert wrote a report saying “Oracle seems to be close to introducing its own software `stack,' featuring Ubuntu Linux.'' Ubuntu is a version of Linux developed by an open source company called Canonical Ltd. on the Isle of Man.

Wynne declined to comment on speculation. But in the past two months, an ad for Ubuntu Linux popped up on a billboard off of Highway 101, not far from Oracle's headquarters.