NetSuite gets sweet on idea of going public

Founded in 1998 by Oracle's Larry Ellison (who still owns 60 percent of the company) and NetSuite's Chief Technology Officer Evan Goldberg

But the exact timing of an IPO will also depend on the opinions of the majority owner, said McGeever: "Larry Ellison doesn't need the money to get rich and retire early."

I've got an idea about Ellison's plans for NetSuite, so i'm not real sure why going public makes sense for him (it may not). My thought is that Oracle will acquire NetSuite some day to compete in the in the SME market. If you look at where Oracle doesn't compte (in the app market) it's at the bottom end; smaller-mid and below. This is the area of the Sage's and Microsoft Dynamics (and to a degree the SAP Business One offering). Oracle's EBS Special Edition could therotically play here, but my understanding is that that offering is more aimed at the middle of the mid-market. I always thought a Oracle NetSuite offering would fit nicely in this space.