Edward A. Oates (born 1946) is an American businessman. He co-founded Software Development Labs in August 1977 with Larry Ellison and Bob Miner. Software Development Labs later became

Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational computer technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Co-founded in 1977 in Santa Clara, California, by Larry Ellison, who remains executive chairman, Oracle was ...

Education and early employment

Ed Oates graduated with a BA in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

from

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

in 1968, and worked at Singer, the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Personnel Information Systems Command (PERSINSCOM) (drafted),

Ampex Ampex Data Systems Corporation is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff as a spin-off of Dalmo-Victor. The name ''AMPEX'' is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excell ...

, and

Memorex Memorex Corp. began as a magnetic tape, computer tape producer and expanded to become both a consumer media supplier and a major IBM plug compatible peripheral supplier. It was broken up and ceased to exist after 1996 other than as a consumer el ...

before co-founding Oracle.

Audible Difference

After retiring from Oracle in 1996 Oates purchased a high-end home theater store, Audible Difference. Oates' clients included his ex-partner Larry Ellison and

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was also the founder of NeXT and chairman and majority shareholder o ...

. In 1999 he sold Audible Difference.

Other affiliations

Oates volunteers time on the board of directors of the San Francisco Zoological Society and the Tower Foundation Board of San Jose State University.

Personal life

In his spare time, Oates skis, builds H0 scale model railroads, and does video work for the Woodside Priory School Theater. He also plays guitar in the band Choc'd, and participated a
Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

References

External links

1946 births Living people American computer businesspeople American technology chief executives American technology company founders Oracle employees San Jose State University alumni {{US-business-bio-1940s-stub