Oracle Plans More Online Software: Report

Software maker Oracle(ORCL) is developing seven new online products, including offerings to help businesses run sales campaigns, and keep track of employees and job applicants, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing people briefed on the plans and a company document the newspaper reviewed.

The Journal notes Oracle also is developing online software to handle marketing and product management as well as a product targeted at the insurance industry.

It's unclear when the products will be available. Oracle was expected to discuss some of the offerings at an event next week, the people said, but an announcement will instead take place at a later date.

Reuters reports Oracle's expansion of its line of customer relationship management software, or CRM programs, will compete with programs from companies such as Salesforce.com(CRM). The programs are known in the technology industry as software as a service, or SaaS.

Oracle has been slow to invest in online software because it tends to be less profitable than traditional software, the Journal notes. But businesses are moving to the Web-based model because of the cost savings of having the makers of the software host the programs at their own data centers.

Oracle declined to comment for Reuters.

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