Former Oracle president joins start-up's board

Ray Lane, the former president of Oracle, has joined the board of directors of Sheer Networks.

Lane, who last month resigned from the database software giant, will help Sheer Networks' chief executive build his management team and offer advice on working with the company's larger customers, Lane said in an interview.

Sheer Networks' software helps manage and control the information that flows through the networks operated by telephone companies and major Internet service providers.

Lane will serve on the board along with the company's officers and a partner from Rein Capital, which provided the first round of financing.

"Rein approached me about being a director five or six months ago," Lane said. "(Sheer Networks) matched my interest in the telecommunications field. If you look at the boards that I sit on, I didn't have a way to participate in this area and keep current on the technology."

In addition to Sheer Networks, Lane sits on the boards of computer software maker Marimba, Carnegie-Mellon University and Special Olympics International.