Oracle's Q2 profits blew away analysts estimates by posting a 36% per share gain and sales of new licenses for database and middleware sofware were up 28%. Oracle's president, Charles Phillips put SAP squarely in their sights by saying, “We like our growth strategy of expanding beyond ERP into high-end industry specific vertical software in contrast to SAP’s strategy of moving down market to sell ERP systems to small companies." It was followed up by a statement by CEO Larry Ellison who then shifted the target to IBM, "We continue to take market share from IBM in both product categories," referring to database and middleware solutions.