Looks like [link|http://www.redhat.com/about/presscenter/2002/press_oracle1.html|Red Hat and Oracle and Dell] are teaming up. So that situation may improve.

The bit about Oracle competing with their customers and how they feel about it may be true, but be careful about what you've been told by IBM marketing types. They do have a way coloring reality sometimes. If the ultimate customer, say Bank of America, is using Oracle and wants Peoplesoft to do something for them, Peoplesoft is not going to tell the "Sorry, we don't do Oracle.". Besides, IBM has a similar competitive situation with some of their customers.