Oracle is making a major push into business intelligence (BI) software with three bundles of existing products, the vendor announced Wednesday. The company anticipates ramping up its BI software presence in the same way that it built up its middleware business, according to Oracle President Charles Phillips.

"We're adding a new leg to our business," Phillips said during a New York event, which was also Webcast. The bundles include analytics software Oracle acquired through its approximately $6 billion purchase of Siebel Systems, completed earlier this year.

Available Wednesday, the three software bundles are branded Oracle Business Intelligence Suite and include the company's database, its Fusion middleware and analytics software, according to Phillips.

The entry-level Standard Edition One bundle is a volume product designed to pit Oracle against Microsoft Corp., The software is limited to two processors and is priced starting at $25,000. The Standard Edition bundle is aimed at existing Oracle users and includes the company's Discoverer tools, while the Enterprise Edition is for users working in heterogenous environments.

Oracle has formed a specialized sales force to sell Oracle Business Intelligence Suite and will provide lifetime support for all the products in the bundles, according to Phillips. "We will invest in these products in perpetuity," he said.

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Prashanth Rai

Tag(s):Oracle, BI