Oracle in $1.43 Billion Deal for Right Now

Oracle said on Monday that it had agreed to acquire RightNow Technologies, a provider of Web-based customer service solutions, for $1.43 billion, as it looks to build out its portfolio of cloud-based offerings.

Under the terms of the deal, which is expected to close by early 2012, the enterprise software giant will pay RightNow’s shareholders $43 a share.

“Oracle is moving aggressively to offer customers a full range of cloud solutions including sales force automation, human resources, talent management, social networking, databases and Java as part of the Oracle Public Cloud,” Thomas Kurian, Oracle’s executive vice president of development, said in a statement on Monday.

The deal comes as Oracle tries to bolster its so-called cloud-based software services, which are available remotely via the web. Last week, the company purchased Endeca Technologies, a business intelligence software company, for an undisclosed amount. Endeca, which specializes in managing unstructured data, also offers Web-based products to help online retailers improve customer service.

RightNow’s primary product is its CX Suite, a platform that allows companies to engage with their customers through the Web, social media and contact centers. For instance, with its “cloud monitor,” businesses can track and manage conversations on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook related to their brand. RightNow, based in Bozeman, Mont., has nearly 2,000 clients.

Oracle’s acquisition, which is its biggest since it purchased Sun Microsystems for $7.4 billion in April 2009, may also indicate that Oracle’s appetite for acquisitions is strengthening once again.

Earlier this year, Oracle’s chief, Larry Ellison, said he was restraining his check book and focusing on organic growth because assets were “wildly overpriced.” While the company has made several acquisitions this year, it has largely focused on smaller, privately held companies.