Federal Judge Rules Oracle can Bid for PeopleSoft

terrymaster69 writes "The NY Times reports (free reg, required) that Oracle may have the go ahead to continue its hostile bidding for PeopleSoft. The Justice Department had previously tried to paint the merger as anti-competitive in the corporate services software market. 'Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the Federal District Court in San Francisco rejected the government's definition of the market as too narrow, noting that the software business is particularly dynamic, with a host of current and emerging competitors in that area including Microsoft.'"

Comments

not out of the woods

[Anonymous Coward]

First point is that this has nothing to do with databases. It is to do with ERP apps of which there are currently 3 major players: SAP, Oracle and Peoplesoft. If Oracle is successful there will be two. Hard to see how this is not less competition, though SAP is so much the market leader that the Oralce/Peoplesoft combined company might be useful to their customers. Its worth noting that Oracle still faces an EU investigation into the bid and, if successful, will to overcome an implacably hostile Peoplesoft board, oh, and gain the support of shareholders for its $7.7bn bid. Also the DoJ has 60 days to appeal Judge Walker's decision.