Oracle Acquires RightNow Technologies for $1.43 Billion

Less than a week after its $1.1 billion acquisition of Big Data player Endeca, Oracle announced plans to acquire RightNow Technologies for $1.43 billion. RightNow Technologies delivers a cloud based technology platform that enables enterprises to deliver enhanced customer experiences with a product via the web, social media and call centers. The RightNow Technologies “Contact Center” platform empowers service representatives with data and solution options for customers calling with questions or complaints. Similarly, the RightNow Technologies web solution empowers companies to optimize the web experience of their customers to optimize conversions and obtain optimal web support. The Boston based company’s Social Experience offering enables enterprises to monitor and refine their branding on Facebook and other social media sites.

The deal represents Oracle’s largest acquisition since Sun Microsystems in 2010 for $7.4 billion. Oracle’s acquisition of RightNow Technologies consolidates its emerging public cloud offering and positions it to compete squarely against Salesforce.com, the market leader in sales management technology that leverages cloud based solutions. In September, Gartner positioned RightNow Technologies within the leader quadrant of its Magic Quadrant for CRM Web Customer Service.