Mergers, Acquisitions and Takeovers Case Study

Oracle's Bid for PeopleSoft : The Strategic Fit

OR

Abstract:
Since mid-2003, Oracle Corporation has been trying its best to acquire its rival PeopleSoft Inc. Despite bidding for four times, Oracle had remained unsuccessful until mid-2004. Oracle received a major boost in September 2004 when the US District Court in San Francisco rejected a petition, which had been filed by the US Department of Justice in February 2004 against Oracle's acquisition efforts of PeopleSoft. The petition was filed on the grounds that the acquisition would curb competition in the enterprise software segment.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss the probable reasons behind Oracle's acquisition bids for PeopleSoft
• To discuss as to whether Oracle is strategically correct in its endeavours to acquire PeopleSoft.

Keywords : Oracle Corporation;Mergers, Acquisitions, Alliances Case Study; PeopleSoft Inc.; JD Edwards; Enterprise software providers; Takeover bid; Consolidation in software industry; Lawrence J Ellison; Software market; Craig Conway; Anti-takeover defence

Contents : 
Oracle’s Hostile Bid
PeopleSoft’s Combat Strategies
Hurdles to Oracle for the Take Over Since Mid-2003
PeopleSoft Share Prices
US Department of Justice’s Lawsuit against Oracle
EU Commission’s Enquiry on Oracle’s Hostile Take Over Bid
Oracle Vs PeopleSoft – Timeline