Oracle Corporation

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Larry Elllison on stage

Oracle Headquarters Redwood Shores

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German Sailing Grand Prix 2006 Oracle-2

Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company was founded in Santa Clara, California, in 1977 by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates. Oracle specializes in developing and marketing database software and technology, cloud engineered systems, and enterprise software products, particularly its own brands of database management systems. In 2020, Oracle was the second-largest software company by revenue and market capitalization.

History

The origins of Oracle Corporation trace back to a project initiated by Ellison, Miner, and Oates in the late 1970s. Their goal was to develop a relational database management system (RDBMS) as a commercial product, inspired by the research of Edgar F. Codd on relational database models at IBM. The company, initially named Software Development Laboratories (SDL), was later renamed Relational Software Inc. (RSI), and finally Oracle Systems Corporation to align more closely with its flagship product, the Oracle Database.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Oracle expanded its product line to include not just database software but also tools for database development, systems integration, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The company went public in 1986 and experienced rapid growth, albeit with some financial turbulence in the early 1990s due to aggressive sales tactics and accounting issues.

In the 2000s, Oracle began a series of acquisitions to expand its product portfolio and market share. Notable acquisitions include PeopleSoft in 2004, Siebel Systems in 2006, and Sun Microsystems in 2010. The acquisition of Sun Microsystems also gave Oracle control of the Java programming language, which is widely used in business applications, websites, and software.

Products and Services

Oracle's product offerings are diverse, covering various aspects of business technology infrastructure and software. The Oracle Database remains its core product, with the company continuously enhancing its features, scalability, and performance. Oracle also offers cloud computing services, including Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), through its Oracle Cloud platform.

Other significant products include: - Oracle E-Business Suite, an integrated set of business applications for automating customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and supply chain management (SCM). - Oracle Fusion Middleware, a portfolio of software products that enable software developers to develop and deploy applications in a cloud environment or on-premise. - Oracle Applications Cloud, which provides SaaS applications for functions such as financial management, human capital management, and supply chain management.

Corporate Affairs

Oracle is known for its aggressive business practices, including litigation and acquisitions. The company has been involved in several high-profile legal disputes with competitors, particularly around intellectual property and copyright issues. Oracle's acquisition strategy has also been a subject of scrutiny and regulatory review, given its impact on market competition.

Criticism and Controversies

Oracle has faced criticism for various reasons, including its aggressive sales tactics, licensing practices, and treatment of acquired companies and their products. The company's legal battles, especially its long-standing dispute with Google over the use of Java in Android, have also attracted significant attention.

See Also

• Cloud computing
• Database management system
• Enterprise software
• Java (programming language)