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Oracle To Merge RightNow Customer Service into New Oracle Public Cloud

• By Leila Meyer
• 10/25/11

Oracle has entered into an agreement to buy RightNow Technologies, a provider of cloud-based customer service to call centers, the Web, and social networks. Oracle said it plans to integrate RightNow Customer Service into its new Oracle Public Cloud.

"Oracle is moving aggressively to offer customers a full range of Cloud Solutions including sales force automation, human resources, talent management, social networking, databases, and Java as part of the Oracle Public Cloud," said Thomas Kurian, executive vice president, Oracle development. "RightNow's leading customer service cloud is a very important addition to Oracle's Public Cloud."

RightNow's customer service cloud products include:

• Web Experience, an online customer experience solution that includes Web-based self-service, e-mail management, and chat;
• Social Experience, which includes a support community, innovation community, and cloud monitor;
• Contact Center Experience, which includes a voice experience manager and dynamic agent desktop to provide end-to-end customer service management through unified records, interfaces, and knowledge; and
• Engage, a customer feedback, service, sales, marketing, and analytics tool that operates across the Web, Social, and Contact Center Experiences.

RightNow Technologies has its headquarters in Bozeman, MT and employs more than 1,000 people worldwide. Nearly 2,000 organizations currently use RightNow products, including UCLA, University of South Florida, University of Houston, DeVry University, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

"RightNow's products add leading customer experience capabilities that help empower companies to interact with and provide a consistent experience to customers across channels," said Greg Gianforte, CEO, RightNow. "We look forward to combining our complementary capabilities along with maintaining and expanding our presence in Bozeman, Montana in order to better service our customers."

The Board of Directors of RightNow Technologies approved the transaction unanimously, and the deal will close late this year or early next year, pending stockholder approval, regulatory approvals, and customary closing conditions. Oracle will pay $43 per share, or approximately $1.5 billion. RightNow will continue to operate independently until the acquisition has been finalized.