ORACLE CORP

Previous wording

we are unable to increase our existing data center capacity or establish data centers in new geographic locations in a timely manner to meet current or expected customer demand;

Current wording

we are unable to accurately anticipate, plan for and manage future data center capacity needs in a timely manner to meet current or expected customer demand;

Previous wording

sanctions, export controls or other regulatory, legislative or other barriers prevent us from serving certain customers or restrict our customers from operating in specific jurisdictions;

Current wording

sanctions, tariffs, export controls, geopolitical instability and related market disruptions or other regulatory, legislative or other trade and non-tariff barriers, including retaliatory measures, impede or prevent us from serving certain customers or restrict our customers from operating in specific jurisdictions;

Previous wording

Our AI products may not operate as anticipated, which could adversely affect our reputation, revenues and profitability. Machine learning and AI, including generative AI, are increasingly driving innovations in technology, and AI technology and services are highly competitive and rapidly evolving. We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, significant resources to build and support our AI products, and if our AI products fail to operate as anticipated or as well as competing products or otherwise do not meet customer needs or if our competitors’ AI products achieve higher market acceptance than ours, we may fail to recoup our investments in AI and our business and reputation may be harmed. In addition, AI technologies are rapidly evolving and present emerging legal and ethical issues, including claims of bias, discrimination, a perceived lack of transparency, as well as sometimes unpredictable behaviors or improper use of copyrighted or other protected material, such as personal and patient health information, any of which could expose us or our customers to reputational or legal risk and inhibit adoption of our AI products. Regulatory uncertainty, including the lack of comprehensive federal legislation, a patchwork of existing and proposed frameworks, and emerging regulatory initiatives, may expose us to compliance challenges and uncertainties. Our failure to adapt to these changes could result in legal and reputational consequences including, but not limited to, being required to adjust or limit our product offerings or our use of AI in certain jurisdictions to comply with new and evolving AI laws and regulations.

Current wording

Our AI products may not operate as anticipated, which could adversely affect our reputation, revenues and profitability. Machine learning and AI, including generative AI, agentic AI and LLMs, are increasingly driving innovations in technology, and AI technology and services are highly competitive and rapidly evolving. We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, significant resources to build and support our AI products. In addition, we rely on partners and suppliers to produce some of our AI products. If we are unable to introduce new AI products or if our AI products fail to operate as anticipated or as well as competing products or otherwise do not meet customer needs, or if our competitors’ AI products achieve higher market acceptance than ours, we may fail to recoup our investments in AI and our business and reputation may be harmed. Further, if we do not continue to invest significant resources to develop and support our AI products, we may fall behind technological developments and evolving industry standards, which would likewise harm our ability to compete. In addition, AI technologies are rapidly changing and present evolving legal, regulatory and ethical issues, including claims of bias, discrimination, a perceived lack of transparency, as well as sometimes unpredictable behaviors or improper use of copyrighted or other protected material, such as personal and patient health information, any of which could expose us or our customers to reputational or legal risk and inhibit adoption of our AI products. Regulatory uncertainty, including the lack of comprehensive federal legislation and a patchwork of existing and proposed frameworks and regulatory initiatives in numerous jurisdictions, may expose us to compliance challenges and uncertainties. Our failure to adapt to these changes, or any failure by our employees, contractors, partners, suppliers or agents to comply with laws and regulations applicable to our AI products or our related policies and procedures, could result in legal, financial and reputational consequences including, but not limited to, being required to adjust or limit our product offerings or our use of AI in certain jurisdictions to comply with new and evolving AI laws and regulations.

Previous wording

If we do not successfully execute our Oracle Cloud strategy, including our offerings of Oracle Cloud Services, our revenues and profitability may decline. We provide our cloud and other offerings to customers worldwide via a variety of deployment models, including via our cloud-based SaaS and OCI offerings. As these business models continue to evolve, we may not be able to compete effectively, generate significant revenues or maintain the profitability of our cloud offerings. Additionally, the increasing prevalence of various cloud offering models by us and our competitors may unfavorably impact the pricing of our cloud and license offerings. If we do not successfully execute our cloud computing strategy or anticipate the cloud computing needs of our customers, our reputation as a cloud services provider could be harmed and our revenues and profitability could decline.

Current wording

If we do not successfully execute our Oracle Cloud strategy, including our offerings of Oracle Cloud Services, our revenues and profitability may decline. We provide our cloud and other offerings to customers worldwide via a variety of deployment models, including via our cloud-based OCA and OCI offerings. As these business models continue to evolve, we may not be able to compete effectively, generate significant revenues or maintain the profitability of our cloud offerings. Additionally, the increasing prevalence of various cloud offering models by us and our competitors may unfavorably impact the pricing of our cloud and license offerings. If we do not successfully execute our cloud computing strategy or anticipate the cloud computing needs of our customers, our reputation as a cloud services provider could be harmed and our revenues and profitability could decline.

Previous wording

As customer demand for our cloud offerings increases, we experience volatility in our reported revenues and operating results due to the differences in timing of revenue recognition between our cloud license and on-premise license, and hardware product arrangements relative to our cloud offering arrangements. Customers predominantly purchase our cloud offerings on a subscription basis, and revenues from these offerings are generally recognized ratably or as services are consumed over the terms of the subscriptions. Consequently, any deterioration in sales activity associated with our cloud offerings may not be immediately observable in our consolidated statement of operations. This is in contrast to revenues associated with our license and hardware product arrangements, which are generally recognized in full at the time of delivery of the related licenses and hardware products. In addition, we may not be able to accurately anticipate customer transitions from or be able to sufficiently backfill reduced customer demand for our license, hardware and support offerings relative to the expected increase in customer adoption of and demand for our Oracle Cloud Services, which could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

Current wording

As customer demand for our cloud offerings increases, we experience volatility in our reported revenues and operating results due to the differences in timing of revenue recognition between our cloud license and on-premise license and hardware product arrangements relative to our cloud offering arrangements. Customers predominantly purchase our cloud offerings on a subscription basis, and revenues from these offerings are generally recognized ratably or as services are consumed over the terms of the subscriptions. Consequently, any deterioration in sales activity associated with our cloud offerings may not be immediately observable in our consolidated statements of operations. This is in contrast to revenues associated with our license and hardware product arrangements, which are generally recognized in full at the time of delivery of the related licenses and hardware products. In addition, we may not be able to accurately anticipate customer transitions from or be able to sufficiently backfill reduced customer demand for our license, hardware and support offerings relative to the expected increase in customer adoption of and demand for our Oracle Cloud Services, which could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

Previous wording

If we are unable to secure data center capacity at affordable rates or do not accurately plan for our infrastructure capacity requirements, our profitability may decline. As a part of our Oracle Cloud strategy, we plan our investment levels based on estimates of future revenues and future anticipated rates of growth. In recent periods, our cloud services and license support expenses have grown to meet current and expected demand for our cloud offerings, including investments to increase our existing data center capacity and to establish data centers in new geographic locations. In connection with these investments, we entered, and expect to continue to enter, into long-term operating lease commitments with third-party data center providers that generally require us to pay significant contract termination fees to early exit such obligations should our strategies change, which could adversely impact our profitability and cash flows. Data centers in geographies that we rely on may also be unavailable on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Moreover, we do not control the operation of these third-party data centers, and they may suffer interruptions in service from events beyond our control, including from acts of government, natural events, power loss, break-ins or misconduct by those third parties. In addition, we rely on third-party suppliers to provide equipment and components required to outfit these data centers on a timely basis. Ongoing or future delays could cause the loss of additional sales, delay our revenue recognition or increase our costs, all of which could adversely affect the margins of our business. We typically depreciate these assets over their estimated useful lives, which could be shortened should our cloud strategies change, which could adversely affect our profitability.

Current wording

If we are unable to secure data center capacity at affordable rates or do not accurately plan for and manage our infrastructure capacity requirements, our profitability may decline. As a part of our Oracle Cloud strategy, we plan our investment levels based on estimates of future revenues and customer demand and future anticipated rates of growth. In recent periods, our cloud services and license support expenses have grown to meet current and expected demand for our cloud offerings, including investments to increase our existing data center capacity and to establish data centers in new geographic locations. In connection with these investments, we entered, and expect to continue to enter, into long-term lease commitments with third-party data center providers and other significant commitments with suppliers of chips and other data center infrastructure. If we underestimate customer demand or our data center capacity needs, we may face shortages of available infrastructure, limiting our ability to support customer growth and potentially causing us to lose business to competitors. Conversely, if we overestimate customer demand or our data center capacity needs, we could be locked into multi-year commitments for excess data center space, resulting in lower profitability and cash flows because our third-party data center vendors generally require us to pay significant contract termination fees to early exit such obligations. Data centers in geographies that we rely on may also be unavailable on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Moreover, we do not control the operation of these third-party data centers, and they may suffer interruptions in service from events beyond our control, including from acts of government, natural events, power loss, break-ins or misconduct by those third parties. We have faced, and may continue to face, rising costs for data center energy demands. In addition, we rely on third-party suppliers to provide equipment and components required to outfit these data centers on a timely basis. Ongoing or future delays or the inability to meet customer demand could cause the loss of additional sales, delay our revenue recognition or increase our costs, all of which could adversely affect the margins of our business. We typically depreciate these assets over their estimated useful lives, which could be shortened should our cloud strategies change, which could adversely affect our profitability.

Previous wording

Our products and services may not function properly if we experience significant coding, manufacturing or configuration errors in our cloud, license and hardware offerings. Despite testing prior to the release and throughout the lifecycle of a product or service, our cloud, license and hardware offerings sometimes contain coding, manufacturing or configuration errors that can impact their function, performance and security, and result in other negative consequences. The detection and correction of any errors in released cloud, license or hardware offerings can be time consuming and costly. Errors in our cloud, license or hardware offerings, or errors embedded in third-party software products or services incorporated into our own products, could affect their ability to properly function, integrate or operate with other cloud, license or hardware offerings, could result in service interruptions, delays or outages of our cloud offerings, could create security vulnerabilities in our products or services, could delay the development or release of new products or services or new versions of products or services, and could adversely affect market acceptance of our products or services. If we experience any of these errors, or if there are delays in releasing our cloud, license or hardware offerings or new versions of these offerings, our sales could be affected and revenues could decline. In addition, we run Oracle’s business operations as well as cloud and other services that we offer to our customers on our products and networks. Therefore, any flaws could affect our and our customers’

Current wording

Our products and services may not function properly if we experience significant coding, manufacturing or configuration errors in our cloud, license and hardware offerings. Despite testing prior to the release and throughout the lifecycle of a product or service, our cloud, license and hardware offerings sometimes contain coding, manufacturing or configuration errors that can impact their function, performance and security, and result in other negative consequences. The detection and correction of any errors in released cloud, license or hardware offerings can be time consuming and costly. Errors in our cloud, license or hardware offerings, or errors embedded in third-party software products or services incorporated into our own products, can affect their ability to properly function, integrate or operate with other cloud, license or hardware offerings; result in service interruptions, delays or outages of our cloud offerings; create security vulnerabilities in our products or services; delay the development or release of new products or services or new versions of products or services; and adversely affect market acceptance of our products or services. If we experience any of these errors, or if there are delays in releasing our cloud, license or hardware offerings or new versions of these offerings, our sales could be affected and revenues could decline. In addition, we run Oracle’s business operations as well as cloud and other services that we offer to our customers on our products and networks. Therefore, any flaws could affect our and our customers’ abilities to conduct business operations and to ensure accuracy in financial processes and reporting, and may result in unanticipated costs and interruptions. Enterprise customers rely on our cloud, license and hardware offerings and related services to run their businesses, and errors in our cloud, license and hardware offerings and related services could expose us to product liability, performance and warranty claims as well as significant harm to our brand and reputation, which could impact our future sales.

Previous wording

If we are unable to compete effectively, the results of operations and prospects for our business could be harmed. We face intense competition in all aspects of our business. The nature of the IT industry creates a competitive landscape that is constantly evolving as firms emerge, expand or are acquired, as technology evolves and as delivery models change. Our enterprise cloud, license and hardware offerings compete directly with certain offerings from some of the largest and most competitive companies in the world. In addition, due to the low barriers to entry in many of our market segments, new technologies and new and growing competitors frequently emerge to challenge our offerings. We believe many vendors spend amounts in excess of what Oracle spends to develop and market applications and infrastructure technologies including databases, middleware products, application development tools, business applications, collaboration products and business intelligence, compute, storage and networking products, among others, which compete with Oracle applications and infrastructure offerings.

Current wording

If we are unable to compete effectively, the results of operations and prospects for our business could be harmed. We face intense competition in all aspects of our business. The nature of the IT industry creates a competitive landscape that is constantly evolving as firms emerge, expand or are acquired, as technology evolves and as delivery models change. Our enterprise cloud, license and hardware offerings compete directly with certain offerings from some of the largest and most competitive companies in the world, many of which have well-developed customer bases and strong brand recognition. In addition, due to the low barriers to entry in many of our market segments, new technologies and new, agile and growing competitors frequently emerge to challenge our offerings. We believe many vendors spend amounts in excess of what Oracle spends to develop and market applications and infrastructure technologies including databases, middleware products, application development tools, business applications, collaboration products and business intelligence, compute, storage and networking products, among others, which compete with Oracle applications and infrastructure offerings.

Previous wording

In addition, use of our competitors’ technologies can influence a customer’s purchasing decision or create an environment that makes it less efficient to utilize or migrate to Oracle products and services. For example, we offer our customers multicloud services whereby our customers can combine cloud services from multiple clouds with the goal of optimizing cost, functionality and performance. OCI’s multicloud services work with a number of our competitors’ products, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. This multicloud strategy could lead our customers to migrate away from our cloud offerings to our competitors’ products or limit their purchases of additional Oracle products, either of which could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

Current wording

In addition, use of our competitors’ technologies can influence a customer’s purchasing decision or create an environment that makes it less efficient to utilize or migrate to Oracle products and services. For example, we offer our customers multicloud services whereby our customers can combine cloud services from multiple clouds with the goal of optimizing cost, functionality and performance. OCI’s multicloud services work with a number of our competitors’ products, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. This multicloud strategy could lead our customers to migrate away from our cloud offerings to our competitors’ products or limit their purchases of additional Oracle products, either of which could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

Previous wording

Our competitors may also adopt business practices that provide customers access to competing products and services on terms that we may not generally find acceptable, which may convince customers to purchase competitor products and services. We could lose customers if our competitors introduce new competitive products, add new functionality, acquire competitive products, reduce prices, better execute on their sales and marketing strategies, offer more flexible business practices, provide debt or equity financing to customers or form strategic alliances with other companies. Mergers, consolidations or alliances among our competitors, or acquisitions of our competitors by large companies may result in increased competition.

Current wording

Our competitors may also seek to attract or retain customers who might otherwise purchase our products and services by offering competing products and services on terms that we may not generally find acceptable. We could lose customers if our competitors introduce new competitive products, add new functionality, acquire competitive products, reduce prices, better execute on their sales and marketing strategies, offer more flexible business practices, provide debt or equity financing to customers or form strategic alliances with other companies. Mergers, consolidations or alliances among our competitors, or acquisitions of our competitors by large companies, may result in increased competition.

Previous wording

If our competitors offer deep discounts on certain products or services or develop products that the marketplace considers more valuable, we may need to lower prices, introduce pricing models and offerings or offer other terms that are less favorable to us to compete successfully. Any such changes may reduce revenues and margins and could adversely affect operating results. Additionally, the increasing prevalence of cloud delivery models offered by us and our competitors may unfavorably impact the pricing of our other cloud and license, hardware and services offerings, and we may also incur increased cloud delivery expenses as we expand our cloud operations and update our infrastructure, all of which could reduce our revenues and profitability. Our license support fees and hardware support fees are generally priced as a percentage of our net license fees and net new hardware products fees, respectively. Our competitors may offer lower pricing on their support offerings, which could put pressure on us to further discount our offerings. If we do not adapt our pricing models to reflect changes in customer use of our products, changes in customer demand or increased competition, our revenues could decrease.

Current wording

If our competitors offer deep discounts on certain products or services or develop products that the marketplace considers more valuable, we may need to lower prices, introduce pricing models and offerings or offer other terms that are less favorable to us to compete successfully. Any such changes may reduce revenues and margins and could adversely affect operating results. Additionally, the increasing prevalence of cloud delivery models offered by us and our competitors may unfavorably impact the pricing of our other cloud and license, hardware and services offerings, and we have incurred increased cloud delivery expenses as we expand our cloud operations and update our infrastructure, all of which could reduce our revenues and profitability. Our license support fees and hardware support fees are generally priced as a percentage of our net license fees and net new hardware products fees, respectively. Our competitors may offer lower pricing on their support offerings, which could put pressure on us to further discount our offerings. If we do not adapt our pricing models to reflect changes in customer use of our products, changes in customer demand or increased competition, our revenues could decrease.

Previous wording

Any failure to offer high-quality technical support services may adversely affect our relationships with our customers and our financial results. Our customers depend on our support organization to resolve technical issues relating to our applications and infrastructure offerings. We may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in customer demand for support services or may be inefficient in our resolution of customer support issues. Increased customer demand for these services, without corresponding revenues, could increase costs and adversely affect our operating results. Any failure to maintain high-quality technical support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality technical support, could adversely affect our reputation, our ability to sell and renew our applications and infrastructure offerings to existing and prospective customers, and our business, operating results, and financial position.

Current wording

Any failure to offer high-quality technical support services may adversely affect our relationships with our customers and our financial results. Our customers depend on our support organization to resolve technical issues related to our applications and infrastructure offerings. We may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in customer demand for support services or resolve issues efficiently. Increased customer demand for these services, without corresponding revenues, could increase costs and adversely affect our operating results. Any failure to maintain high-quality technical support, or even the perception that our support is insufficient, could adversely affect our reputation, hinder our ability to sell and renew our applications and infrastructure offerings to existing and prospective customers, and negatively impact our business, operating results and financial position.

Previous wording

We may not receive significant revenues from our current research and development efforts for several years, if at all. Developing our various product offerings is expensive and the investment in the development of these offerings often involves a long return on investment cycle. An important element of our corporate strategy is to continue to dedicate a significant amount of resources to research and development and related product and service opportunities, both through internal investments and the acquisition of intellectual property from acquired companies. Accelerated product and service introductions and short lifecycles require high levels of expenditures for research and development that could adversely affect our operating results if not offset by revenue increases. We believe that we must continue to dedicate a significant amount of resources to our research and development efforts to maintain our competitive position. However, we do not expect to receive significant revenues from these investments for several years, if at all.

Current wording

We may not receive significant revenues from our current research and development efforts for several years, if at all. Developing our various product offerings is expensive and the return on investment is often long. An important element of our corporate strategy is to commit significant resources to research and development, as well as related product and service opportunities, both through internal investments and the acquisition of intellectual property from acquired companies. Accelerated product and service introductions and short lifecycles require high levels of research and development spending, which could adversely affect our operating results if not offset by revenue increases. We believe that continued investment in research and development is essential to maintaining our competitive position. However, our investments in research and development may fail to yield competitive products and services and we do not expect to receive significant revenues from these investments for several years, if at all.

Previous wording

Our cloud offerings and hardware offerings are complex, and if we cannot successfully manage this complexity, including the sourcing of technologies and components, the results of these businesses will suffer. We depend on suppliers to develop, manufacture and deliver on a timely basis the necessary technologies and components for our hardware products that we market and sell to our customers and that we use as a part of our cloud infrastructure to deliver our cloud offerings, and there are some technologies and components that can only be purchased from a single vendor due to price, quality, technology, availability or other business constraints. Our supply chain operations are affected by industry consolidation and component constraints or shortages, natural disasters, political unrest (such as the tensions between China and Taiwan), public health crises, changes to trade laws or regulations, port stoppages, shipping interruptions or other transportation disruptions or slowdowns, and other factors affecting the countries or regions where these single source component vendors are located or where the products are being shipped. If disruption caused by one or more of the risks described above occurs, our cloud and license business and hardware business and related operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

Current wording

Our cloud offerings and hardware offerings are complex, and if we cannot successfully manage this complexity, including the sourcing of technologies and components, the results of these businesses will suffer. We depend on suppliers to develop, manufacture and deliver on a timely basis the necessary technologies and components for our hardware products that we market and sell to our customers and that we use as a part of our cloud infrastructure to deliver our cloud offerings, and there are some technologies and components that can only be purchased from a single vendor due to price, quality, technology, availability or other business constraints. Our supply chain operations are affected by industry consolidation and component constraints or shortages, natural disasters, political unrest (such as the tensions between China and Taiwan), public health crises, changes to trade laws or regulations, tariffs and customs controls, port stoppages, shipping interruptions or other transportation disruptions or slowdowns, and other factors affecting the countries or regions where these single source component vendors are located or where the products are being shipped. If disruption caused by one or more of the risks described above occurs, our cloud and license business and hardware business and related operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

Previous wording

Supply chain shortages have in some instances resulted in increases to the costs of production of our hardware products that we may not be able to pass on to our customers. In addition, we have in some instances responded to such shortages by committing to higher purchases and balances of hardware products that we market and sell to our customers and that we use as a part of our cloud infrastructure to deliver our cloud offerings, relative to our historical positions. While this permits us to secure manufacturing capacity, it has increased excess and obsolescence risk of such hardware products and could adversely impact our profitability and cash flows. We expect these factors will continue to impact us in the future.

Current wording

Supply chain shortages have in some instances resulted in increases to the costs of production of our hardware products that we may not be able to pass on to our customers. In addition, we have in some instances responded to such shortages by committing to higher purchases and balances of hardware products that we market and sell to our customers and that we use as a part of our cloud infrastructure to deliver our cloud offerings, relative to our historical positions. For example, industry supply capacity for AI accelerators, including graphics processing units, is competitive, and we at times have to accept less favorable terms with suppliers to avoid supply constraints. While this permits us to secure cloud infrastructure capacity, it has increased excess and obsolescence risk of such hardware products and could adversely impact our profitability and cash flows. We expect these factors will continue to impact us in the future.

Previous wording

We outsource most of our manufacturing, assembly, delivery and technology of, and certain component designs for, our hardware products to a variety of companies, many of which are located outside the U.S. From time to time, these partners experience production problems, delays or cannot meet our demand for products. Ongoing or future delays in manufacturing could cause the loss of additional sales, delayed revenue recognition or an increase in our hardware products expenses, all of which could adversely affect the margins of our cloud and license business and hardware business. These challenges could arise if we alter our manufacturing strategies, suppliers, or locations.

Current wording

We outsource most of our manufacturing, assembly, delivery and technology of, and certain component designs for, our hardware products to a variety of companies, many of which are located outside the U.S. From time to time, these partners experience production problems or delays or cannot meet our demand for products on a timely or cost-effective basis, including as a result of changes to trade laws or regulations, tariffs, sanctions and export or import controls. Ongoing or future delays or cost increases in manufacturing could cause the loss of additional sales, delayed revenue recognition or an increase in our hardware products expenses, all of which could adversely affect the margins of our cloud and license business and hardware business. These challenges could arise if we alter our manufacturing strategies, suppliers, or locations.

Previous wording

Our periodic workforce restructurings and reorganizations can be disruptive. We periodically restructure or make other adjustments to our workforce in response to management changes, product changes, performance issues, changes in strategies, acquisitions and other internal and external considerations. These types of restructurings have resulted, and may in the future result, in increased restructuring costs and temporary reduced productivity while employees adjust to the restructuring. These types of restructurings may also lead to a shortage of sufficiently skilled employees in certain roles. In addition, we may not achieve or sustain the expected growth, resource redeployment or cost savings benefits of these restructurings, or may not do so within the expected timeframe. These effects could recur in connection with future acquisitions and other restructurings, and our revenues and other results of operations could be negatively affected.

Current wording

Our periodic workforce restructurings and reorganizations can be disruptive. We periodically restructure or make other adjustments to our workforce in response to management changes, product changes, performance issues, changes in strategies, acquisitions and other internal and external considerations. These types of restructurings have resulted, and may in the future result, in increased restructuring costs and temporarily reduced productivity while employees adjust to the restructuring. These types of restructurings may also lead to shortages of sufficiently skilled employees in certain roles, loss of valuable institutional knowledge and damage to employee morale and retention.

Previous wording

We may lose key employees or may be unable to hire enough qualified employees. We rely on hiring qualified employees and the continued service of our senior management, including our Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Technology Officer and founder; our Chief Executive Officer; other members of our executive team; and other key employees. In the technology industry, there is substantial and continuous competition for highly skilled business, product development and technical personnel, particularly in the AI field. Hiring freezes or slowdowns may result in decreased productivity while existing employees take on additional roles and responsibilities, and may also lead to a shortage of sufficiently skilled employees in certain roles.

Current wording

We may lose key employees or may be unable to hire enough qualified employees. We rely on hiring qualified employees and retaining our senior management, including our Chairman of the Board, Chief Technology Officer and founder; our Chief Executive Officer; other executive team members; and key employees. In the technology industry, especially in the AI field, competition for highly skilled business, product development and technical personnel is intense and ongoing.

Previous wording

We may also experience increased compensation costs that are not offset by either improved productivity or higher sales. We may not be successful in recruiting new personnel and in retaining and motivating existing personnel. With rare exceptions, we do not have long-term employment or non-competition agreements with our employees. Members of our senior management team have left Oracle over the years for a variety of reasons, and any future departures may be disruptive to our operations.

Current wording

We may also face rising compensation costs without corresponding gains in productivity or sales. We may not be successful in recruiting new personnel and in retaining and motivating existing personnel. With rare exceptions, we do not have long-term employment agreements with our employees. Members of our senior management team have left Oracle over the years for a variety of reasons, and any future departures may be disruptive to our operations.

Previous wording

We continually focus on improving our cost structure by hiring personnel in countries where advanced technical and other expertise are available at lower costs. When we make adjustments to our workforce, we may incur expenses associated with workforce reductions that delay the benefit of a more efficient workforce structure. We are experiencing increased competition for employees in these countries as the trend toward globalization continues, which has affected our employee retention efforts and increased our expenses in an effort to offer a competitive compensation program. In addition, changes to immigration and labor law policies may adversely impact our access to technical and professional talent.

Current wording

To manage expenses, we hire personnel in countries where advanced technical and other expertise are available at lower costs. When we make adjustments to our workforce, we may incur expenses associated with workforce reductions that delay the benefit of a more efficient workforce structure. We are experiencing increased competition for employees in these countries as the trend toward globalization continues, which has affected our employee retention efforts and increased our expenses in an effort to offer a competitive compensation program. In addition, changes to immigration and labor law policies may adversely impact our access to technical and professional talent.

Previous wording

Our general compensation program includes restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance-based equity, which are important tools in attracting and retaining employees in our industry. If our stock price performs poorly, it may adversely affect our ability to retain or attract employees. We continually evaluate our compensation practices and consider changes from time to time, which may have an impact on our ability to retain employees and the amount of stock-based compensation expense that we record. Any changes in our compensation practices or those of our competitors could affect our ability to retain and motivate existing personnel and recruit new personnel.

Current wording

Our general compensation program includes restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance-based equity, which are important tools in attracting and retaining employees in our industry. If our stock price stagnates or declines, our ability to retain or attract employees may be harmed. We continually evaluate our compensation practices and consider changes from time to time, which may have an impact on our ability to retain employees and the amount of stock-based compensation expense that we record. Any changes in our compensation practices or those of our competitors could affect our ability to retain and motivate existing personnel and recruit new personnel.

Previous wording

There are risks associated with our cloud and license and hardware indirect sales channels which could affect our future operating results. Our cloud and license and hardware indirect channel networks are comprised primarily of resellers, system integrators/implementers, consultants, education providers, internet service providers, network integrators and ISVs. Our relationships with these channel participants are important elements of our cloud, software and hardware marketing and sales efforts. Our financial results could be adversely affected if:

Current wording

There are risks associated with our cloud and license and hardware indirect sales channels which could affect our future operating results. Our cloud and license and hardware indirect channel networks consist primarily of resellers, system integrators/implementers, consultants, education providers, internet service providers, network integrators and ISVs. Our relationships with these channel participants are important elements of our cloud, software and hardware marketing and sales efforts. Our financial results could be adversely affected if:

Previous wording

There can be no assurance that we will be successful in maintaining, expanding or developing our relationships with channel participants. If we are not successful, we may lose sales opportunities, customers and revenues. In addition, we do not control channel participants, some of which operate in jurisdictions with high levels of corruption, and our compliance policies and procedures may fail to prevent or detect violations of anti-corruption or other laws for which we may be held responsible.

Current wording

We may not successfully maintain, expand or develop our relationships with channel participants. If we are not successful, we may lose sales opportunities, customers and revenues. In addition, we do not control channel participants, some of whom operate in jurisdictions with elevated corruption risks. Our compliance policies and procedures may fail to prevent or detect violations of anti-corruption or other laws, and channel participants may violate such laws, all of which could subject us to litigation or regulatory risk and result in liability.

Previous wording

Acquisitions present many risks and we may not achieve the financial and strategic goals that were contemplated at the time of a transaction. We review and consider strategic acquisitions of companies, products, services and technologies. We have a selective and active acquisition program and we expect to continue to make acquisitions in the future because acquisitions have been an important element of our overall corporate strategy. Risks we may face in connection with our acquisition program include:

Current wording

Acquisitions present many risks and we may not achieve the financial and strategic goals that were contemplated at the time of a transaction. We regularly review and consider strategic acquisitions of companies, products, services and technologies as a part of our corporate strategy, and we expect to continue making acquisitions in the future. However, our strategic acquisition program carries several risks, including but not limited to:

Previous wording

we may have difficulties (1) managing an acquired company’s technologies or lines of business; (2) entering new markets where we have no, or limited, direct prior experience or where competitors may have stronger market positions; or (3) retaining key personnel from the acquired companies;

Current wording

challenges in managing acquired technologies or lines of business, entering new markets where we have no, or limited, direct prior experience or market positions, or retaining key personnel from the acquired companies;

Previous wording

an acquisition may not further our business strategy as we expected, we may not integrate an acquired company or technology as successfully as we expected, we may impose our business practices or alter go-to-market strategies that adversely impact the acquired business or we may overpay for, or otherwise not realize the expected return on our investments, each or all of which could adversely affect our business or operating results and potentially cause impairment to assets that we recorded as a part of an acquisition, including intangible assets and goodwill;

Current wording

acquisitions that do not meet strategic expectations, including due to difficulties integrating acquired companies, negative impacts from imposed business practices or different go-to-market strategies, and the risk of overpaying or failing to realize expected returns on our investments, each or all of which could adversely affect our business or operating results and potentially cause impairment to assets that we recorded as a part of an acquisition, including intangible assets and goodwill;

Previous wording

our operating results or financial condition may be adversely impacted by (1) claims or liabilities that we assume from an acquired company or technology or that are otherwise related to an acquisition; (2) pre-existing contractual relationships that we assume from an acquired company, the termination or modification of which may be costly or disruptive to our business; and (3) unfavorable revenue recognition or other accounting treatment as a result of an acquired company’s business practices;

Current wording

negative financial impacts from (1) assumed claims or liabilities; (2) assumed costly or disruptive pre-existing contractual relationships; and (3) unfavorable revenue recognition or other accounting treatment as a result of an acquired company’s business practices;

Previous wording

we may not realize any anticipated increase in our revenues from an acquisition for a number of reasons, including (1) if a larger than predicted number of customers decline to renew or terminate their contracts with the acquired company; (2) if we are unable to sell the acquired products or service offerings to our customer base; (3) if acquired customers do not elect to purchase our technologies due to differing business practices; or (4) if contract models utilized by an acquired company do not allow us to recognize revenues in a manner that is consistent with our current accounting practices;

Current wording

failure to realize expected revenue growth from an acquisition for a number of reasons, including (1) more customers than expected declining to renew or terminating their contracts; (2) difficulty selling acquired products or service offerings to our customer base; (3) acquired customers declining to purchase our technologies due to differing business practices; or (4) contract models utilized by an acquired company conflicting with our revenue recognition methods;

Previous wording

we may incur higher than anticipated costs (1) to support, develop and deliver acquired products or services; (2) for general and administrative functions that support new business models; or (3) to comply with regulations applicable to an acquired business that are more complicated than we had anticipated;

Current wording

higher than anticipated costs related to supporting, developing and delivering acquired products or services, expanding general and administrative functions for new business models or complying with complex regulations applicable to an acquired business;

Previous wording

we may be unable to obtain timely approvals from, or may otherwise have certain limitations, restrictions, penalties or other sanctions imposed on us by worker councils or similar bodies under applicable employment laws as a result of an acquisition;

Current wording

labor challenges, including difficulties obtaining timely approvals from works councils or similar bodies under applicable employment laws;

Previous wording

we may have to incur additional debt to pay for acquisitions or have to delay or not proceed with an acquisition if we cannot obtain the necessary funding to complete the acquisition in a timely manner or on favorable terms.

Current wording

financial constraints that may require us to incur additional debt to pay for acquisitions or delay or not proceed with an acquisition if we cannot obtain the necessary funding to complete the acquisition in a timely manner or on favorable terms.

Previous wording

The Nomination and Governance Committee of our Board of Directors oversees and periodically reviews our environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs, including environmental sustainability. We also have an Environmental Steering Committee (ESC) comprised of senior individuals from a wide range of Oracle business units, including our Chief Sustainability Officer who oversees our overall sustainability strategy, including climate related risk mitigation. The ESC evaluates if climate or environmental risks have the potential for significant chronic or acute impact on our core and/or strategic business functions, including service delivery and support, product development and deployment, supply chain management, facility operations, employee recruitment and retention, or brand reputation. Any failure to identify and assess these risks could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial performance and growth.

Current wording

We are subject to risks with respect to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. We are subject to evolving, and sometimes conflicting, laws, regulations, policies and stakeholder expectations relating to matters beyond our core products and services, including ESG matters, such as environmental sustainability, climate change, human capital and workforce matters. The Nomination and Governance Committee of our Board oversees and periodically reviews our ESG programs and our management evaluates if climate or environmental risks could significantly impact our core or strategic business functions, including service delivery and support, product development and deployment, supply chain management, facility operations, employee recruitment and retention or brand reputation. Any failure to identify and address these risks could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial performance and growth.

Previous wording

If our security measures for our products and services are compromised and as a result, our data, our customers’ data or our IT systems are accessed improperly, made unavailable, or improperly modified, our products and services may be perceived as vulnerable, our brand and reputation could be damaged, the IT services we provide to our customers could be disrupted, and customers may stop using our products and services, any of which could reduce our revenue and earnings, increase our expenses and expose us to legal claims and regulatory actions. Our products and services, including Oracle Cloud Services, store, retrieve, process and manage third-party data, such as our customers’ data, as well as our own data. We believe that Oracle is a target for computer hackers, cyber threats and other bad actors because Oracle stores and processes large amounts of data, including sensitive data such as health sciences (including patient health information), financial services, retail, hospitality, telecommunications and government data. We and our third-party vendors are regularly subject to attempts by third parties (which may include individuals or groups of hackers and sophisticated organizations, such as state-sponsored organizations, nation-states and individuals sponsored by them) to identify and exploit product and service vulnerabilities, penetrate or bypass our security measures, and gain unauthorized access to our or our customers’, partners’ and suppliers’ software, hardware and cloud offerings, networks and systems. Successful attempts by one of these malicious actors can lead to the compromise of personal information or the confidential information or data of Oracle or our customers. Attempts of this nature typically involve IT-related viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that attack networks, systems, products and services, exploit potential security vulnerabilities of networks, systems, products and services, create system disruptions and cause shutdowns or denials of service. Third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce customers, partners, employees or suppliers into disclosing sensitive information such as user names, passwords or other information to gain access to our data, our customers’, suppliers’ or partners’ data or the IT systems of Oracle, our customers, suppliers or partners. Our products and services, including our Oracle Cloud Services, may also be accessed or modified improperly as a result of customer, partner, employee, contractor or supplier error or malfeasance.

Current wording

If our security measures for our products and services are compromised and as a result, our data, our customers’ data or our IT systems are accessed improperly, made unavailable, or improperly modified, our products and services may be perceived as vulnerable, our brand and reputation could be damaged, the IT services we provide to our customers could be disrupted, and customers may stop using our products and services, any of which could reduce our revenue and earnings, increase our expenses and expose us to legal claims and regulatory actions. Our products and services, including Oracle Cloud Services, store, retrieve, process and manage third-party data, such as our customers’ data, as well as our own data. We believe that Oracle has been and is a target for computer hackers, cyberattacks and other perpetrators or threat actors because Oracle stores and processes large amounts of data, including sensitive data such as health sciences (including patient health information), financial services, retail, hospitality, telecommunications and government data. We and our third-party vendors are regularly subject to attempts by third parties (which may include individuals or groups of hackers and sophisticated organizations, such as state-sponsored organizations, nation-states and individuals sponsored by them) to identify and exploit product and service vulnerabilities, penetrate or bypass our security measures, and gain unauthorized access to our or our customers’, partners’ and suppliers’ software, hardware and cloud offerings, networks and systems. Such malicious attacks can lead, and have led, to the compromise of personal information or the confidential information or data of Oracle or our customers. Attempts of this nature typically involve IT-related viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that attack networks, systems, products and services, exploit potential security vulnerabilities of networks, systems, products and services, create system disruptions and cause shutdowns or denials of service. Third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce customers, partners, employees or suppliers into disclosing sensitive information such as user names, passwords or other credentials to gain access to our data, our customers’, suppliers’ or partners’ data or the IT systems of Oracle, our customers, suppliers or partners. Our products and services, including our Oracle Cloud Services, may also be accessed or modified improperly as a result of customer, partner, employee, contractor or supplier error or malfeasance.

Previous wording

If a cyber-attack or other security incident results in unauthorized access to, or modification or exfiltration of, our customers’ or suppliers’ data, other external data, our own data or our IT systems, or if the services we provide to our customers are disrupted, or if our products or services are reported to have (or are perceived as having) security vulnerabilities, we could incur significant expenses and suffer substantial damage to our brand and reputation. If our customers lose confidence in the security and reliability of our products and services, including our cloud offerings, and perceive them to not be secure, they may decide to reduce or terminate their spend with us. In addition, cyber-attacks and other security incidents could lead to considerable investigation and remediation costs, loss or destruction of information, interruption of our operations, inappropriate use of proprietary and sensitive data, lawsuits, indemnity obligations, regulatory investigations and financial penalties, and claims and increased legal liability, including in some cases contractual costs related to customer notification and fraud monitoring. Our remediation efforts may not be successful.

Current wording

When a cyberattack or other security event or incident results in unauthorized access to, or modification or exfiltration of, our customers’ or suppliers’ data, other external data, our own data or our IT systems, or if the services we provide to our customers are disrupted, or if our products or services are reported to have (or are perceived as having) security vulnerabilities, we have incurred and could incur significant expenses and could suffer substantial damage to our brand and reputation. If our customers lose confidence in the security and reliability of our products and services, including our cloud offerings, they may reduce or terminate their spending with us. In addition, cyberattacks and other security events or incidents have resulted and could result in: significant investigation and remediation costs; loss or destruction of data; operational disruptions; inappropriate use of proprietary and sensitive data; lawsuits; indemnity obligations; regulatory investigations and financial penalties; and increased legal liability, including in some cases contractual costs for customer notification and fraud monitoring. Our remediation efforts may not be successful.

Previous wording

Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or sabotage IT systems, change frequently, grow more complex over time, and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate or implement adequate measures to prevent such techniques. Our internal IT systems continue to evolve and we are often early adopters of new technologies. However, our business policies and internal security controls may not keep pace with these changes as new threats emerge. We may not discover any security breach and loss of information for a significant period of time after the security breach.

Current wording

Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or sabotage IT systems, constantly evolve, grow more complex over time, and often are not detected until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate or implement adequate measures to prevent such techniques. Our internal IT systems continue to evolve and we are often early adopters of new technologies. However, our business policies and internal security controls may not keep pace with emerging threats. We may not detect or confirm any security breach and loss of information for a significant period of time after the security breach.

Previous wording

Our products operate in conjunction with and are dependent on a wide variety of third-party products, components and services. If there is a security vulnerability in one of these components, and if there is a security exploit targeting it, we could face increased costs, liability claims, customer dissatisfaction, reduced revenue, or harm to our reputation or competitive position. We also have an active acquisition program and have acquired a number of companies, products, services and technologies over the years. While we make significant efforts to address any IT security issues with respect to our acquired companies, we may still inherit such risks when we integrate these companies within Oracle.

Current wording

Our products operate in conjunction with and are dependent on a wide variety of third-party products, components and services. If a security vulnerability exists in one of these components, a targeted exploit could lead to increased costs, liability claims, customer dissatisfaction, reduced revenue, or harm to our reputation or competitive position. We also have an active acquisition program and have acquired a number of companies, products, services and technologies over the years. While we make significant efforts to address any IT security issues with respect to our acquired companies, we may still inherit such risks when we integrate these companies within Oracle.

Previous wording

Following the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the rate of global consideration and adoption of privacy laws has increased, giving rise to more global jurisdictions in which regulatory inquiries and audits may be requested of Oracle, and if we are not deemed to be in compliance, could result in enforcement actions and/or fines. This is true in the U.S. where, for example, a number of states have enacted privacy laws, the U.S. Congress is considering several privacy and security-related bills at the federal level, the federal government is pursuing a range of cybersecurity initiatives pertaining to critical infrastructure companies and government contractors, and a number of other state legislatures are considering privacy laws. Regulators globally are also imposing greater monetary fines for privacy violations. The GDPR provides for monetary penalties of up to €20 million, or up to 4% of an organization’s worldwide revenue of the preceding financial year, whichever is greater. These penalties can be significant. For example, a U.S.-based technology company was fined €1.2 billion for alleged GDPR violations in 2023. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission continues to fine companies for unfair and deceptive data protection practices, and these fines may increase in size. Taken together, the laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of personal and other types of data could greatly increase the size of potential fines related to data protection, and our cost of providing our products and services could result in changes to our business practices or even prevent us from offering certain services in jurisdictions in which we operate. Although we have implemented contracts, diligence programs, policies and procedures designed to address compliance with applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors, partners, suppliers, data providers or agents will not violate such laws and regulations or our contracts, policies and procedures. Additionally, public perception and standards related to the privacy of personal information can shift rapidly, in ways that may affect our reputation or influence regulators to enact regulations and laws that may limit our ability to provide certain products and services. For example, numerous jurisdictions, including the EU, are considering laws and regulations that would impose additional data privacy and other compliance requirements on the use of AI and could require us to adjust or limit our product offerings in such jurisdictions.

Current wording

Following the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the rate of global consideration and adoption of privacy laws has increased, giving rise to more global jurisdictions in which regulatory inquiries and audits may be requested of Oracle, and if we are not deemed to be in compliance, could result in enforcement actions and/or fines. This is true in the U.S. where, for example, a number of states have enacted privacy laws, the U.S. Congress has been considering several privacy and security-related bills at the federal level, the federal government is pursuing a range of cybersecurity initiatives pertaining to critical infrastructure companies and government contractors, and a number of other state legislatures have passed or are considering privacy laws. Regulators globally are also imposing greater monetary fines for privacy violations. The GDPR provides for monetary penalties of up to €20 million, or up to 4% of an organization’s worldwide revenue of the preceding financial year, whichever is greater. These penalties can be significant. For example, a U.S.-based technology company was fined €1.2 billion for alleged GDPR violations in 2023. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission continues to fine companies for unfair and deceptive data protection practices, and these fines may increase in size. Taken together, the laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of personal and other types of data could greatly increase the size of potential fines related to data protection, and our cost of providing our products and services could result in changes to our business practices or even prevent us from offering certain services in jurisdictions in which we operate. Although we have implemented contracts, diligence programs, policies and procedures designed to address compliance with applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors, partners, suppliers, data providers or agents will not violate such laws and regulations or our contracts, policies and procedures. Additionally, public perception and standards related to the privacy of personal information can shift rapidly, in ways that may affect our reputation or influence regulators to enact regulations and laws that may limit our ability to provide certain products and services. For example, numerous jurisdictions, including the EU, have passed or are considering laws and regulations that would impose additional data privacy and other compliance requirements on the use of AI and could require us to adjust or limit our product offerings in such jurisdictions.

Previous wording

Adverse litigation results could affect our business. We are subject to various legal proceedings. Litigation can be lengthy, expensive and disruptive to our operations, and can divert our management’s attention away from running our core business. The results of our litigation also cannot be predicted with certainty. Even a favorable judgment may be subject to appeals leading to protracted litigation, additional costs and the prospect that our desired outcome will be overturned. An adverse decision could result in monetary damages or injunctive relief that could affect our business, operating results or financial condition. Additional information regarding certain of the lawsuits we are involved in is discussed under Note 16 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Current wording

Adverse litigation results could affect our business. We are subject to various legal proceedings. Litigation can be lengthy, expensive and disruptive to our operations, and can divert our management’s attention away from running our core business. The results of our litigation also cannot be predicted with certainty. Even favorable judgments have been, and may in the future be, subject to appeals leading to protracted litigation, additional costs and the prospect that our desired outcome will be overturned. An adverse decision could result in monetary damages or injunctive relief that could affect our business, operating results or financial condition. Additional information regarding certain of the lawsuits we are involved in is discussed under Note 15 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Previous wording

Countries around the world continually consider and make changes to relevant tax, accounting and other laws, treaties, regulations, guidance and interpretations. In the U.S., various legislative proposals, if enacted, may substantially raise U.S. income taxes on our domestic and international profits. Such unfavorable tax proposals, the prospects for which depend to a significant degree on the U.S. political landscape, create the potential for added volatility in our quarterly provision for income taxes and could have a material adverse impact on our future income tax provisions and effective tax rate.

Current wording

Countries around the world continually consider and make changes to relevant tax, accounting and other laws, treaties, regulations, guidance and interpretations. For example, the U.S. Congress is considering extending tax provisions enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as making other changes to federal tax law, some of which could have an adverse impact on us. Various other legislative proposals, if enacted, could substantially raise U.S. income taxes on our domestic and international profits. Such unfavorable tax proposals create the potential for added volatility in our quarterly provision for income taxes and could have a material adverse impact on our future income tax provisions and effective tax rate.

Previous wording

Other countries also continue to consider changes to their tax laws that could negatively affect us by increasing taxes imposed on our international revenue streams, operations and cross-border transactions, including the imposition of taxes targeted at digital technology businesses and changes in withholding tax rules. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Group of Twenty (G20), together with over 140 participating countries, have developed a two-pillar framework calling for a 15% global minimum tax on multinational corporate groups, which has been adopted in many jurisdictions, and that would provide greater taxing rights to market jurisdictions where customers or users are located. These changes may materially increase the level of income tax on our international profits.

Current wording

Other countries also continue to consider changes to their tax laws that could negatively affect us by increasing taxes imposed on our international revenue streams, operations and cross-border transactions, including the imposition of taxes targeted at digital technology businesses and changes in withholding tax rules. A project led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international association comprised of 38 countries including the U.S., over the last several years has resulted in changes to the basic design of the international tax system, including the implementation of a 15% minimum tax in over 50 countries, as well as proposed changes that would provide greater taxing rights to market jurisdictions where customers or users are located. There can be no assurance that these enacted changes, which are subject to ongoing OECD guidance and interpretations by the various adopting countries, and any contemplated changes, if implemented by countries, will not materially increase the level of income tax on our international profits.