PeopleSoft Bows to Oracle
Ending an 18-month David vs. Goliath drama, PeopleSoft announced today that it has agreed to Oracle’s $10.3 billion acquisition bid. That price translates to $26.50 per PeopleSoft share, lower than the company had been pushing for but high enough to satisfy PeopleSoft’s shareholders, according to CEO David Duffield. Now the companies must overcome the bitter animosity and name-calling of the past year and a half (at one point former PeopleSoft CEO Craig Conway called Oracle CEO Larry Ellison “sociopathic”) and begin the difficult process of merging their corporate cultures and software development operations.
The deal may be a net loss for the Silicon Valley economy, as Ellison says that jobs will be cut at both companies. On the other hand, Oracle’s long-expected victory (PeopleSoft rejected five earlier bids) could help the company compete against Germany’s SAP, the market leader in business applications software.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it
The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.