Oracle upgrades Web-based software - analysts

By Jim Finkle

BOSTON (Reuters) - Oracle Corp has created Web-based software designed to help salespeople win more business, its latest attempt to overtake its smaller rival that leads in the field, Salesforce.com Inc, four analysts briefed by Oracle said on Monday.

Oracle, the No. 2 publicly held software maker, plans to unveil the programs on Tuesday, the analysts said.

The new program adds browser-based technologies and can be customized to run on BlackBerrys, and personalized Google and Yahoo Inc pages.

Business users have requested those features because they are comfortable using that technology, analysts said.

"This is very much in line with what we are seeing the marketplace looking for," said one analyst who was briefed by Oracle executives.

That customers increasingly want this technology was underscored last year when Salesforce.com beat Oracle for a deal to provide software to 30,000 employees of investment bank Citi. Salesforce.com also has 25,000 Merrill Lynch subscribers.

"That was a wake-up call. They have come to a realization that there is money to be made from delivery of software as a service," said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research. He was not briefed by Oracle.

Oracle bought No. 1 customer relationship management software maker Siebel two years ago for almost $6 billion.