With the latest version of its Tuxedo online transaction processing (OLTP) middleware, Oracle is hoping to lure IBM mainframe users over to the world of x86-based distributed computing, namely by promising that their applications will run just as quickly and will not need to be rewritten for the new environment.

Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems is being closely scrutinized by European Union regulatory authorities, but that isn't stopping the companies from making their first joint announcement since the deal was announced in April.

Oracle has launched a high-end database and storage system that it co-developed with Sun Microsystems, the companies' first joint product since announcing their plans to merge almost five months ago.