Ex-Oracle chief tries telecoms

Ray Lane, the former president of Oracle, who quit after a disagreement with the company's larger-than-life boss, Larry Ellison, has landed a new job.

Ray Lane, the former president of Oracle, who quit after a disagreement with the company's larger-than-life boss, Larry Ellison, has landed a new job.

Mr Lane, who left the software giant last month because he felt he wasn't able to make any executive decisions, has joined the board of Californian software company Sheer Networks.

The company develops computer programs for telephone companies and internet service providers. Mr Lane is understood to have chosen the position because he is keen to expand his telecoms expertise.

"It's an enormous growth sector, and I look forward to working with the team to aggressively develop the market," said Mr Lane.

The company is backed by venture capital group Rein Capital. It is understood that executives at the firm approached Mr Lane about the position before he left Oracle.

Mr Lane already sits on the board of software company Marimba and Carnegie-Mellon University, and is keen to extend his influence over other small technology companies.

Mr Lane quit Oracle after helping to turn the business into one of the world's most successful companies. This helped to make Mr Ellison one of the world's richest men and allowed him to amass an impressive array of boy's toys including a fighter jet and a collection of yachts and cars.

It also made Mr Lane a billionaire. He left the company with more than 12m Oracle shares worth nearly $1bn (£665m).