Report: Oracle in Talks to Buy Siebel

Business software giant Oracle is reportedly in talks to
buy customer relationship management applications maker Siebel Systems
.

High-level talks have been under way for the last week for a deal that could
be valued at $5 billion, The Daily Deal reported this morning.

The news organization cited people close to the companies and industry
analysts with knowledge of the negotiations. Deborah Lilienthal, an Oracle spokeswoman, declined comment on the report. A Siebel spokeswoman was not immediately available.

If the acquisition happens — which assumes Siebel’s shareholders and
regulators sign off — it would be the latest blockbuster buy for Oracle.

Oracle is in the process of digesting PeopleSoft and recently won a bidding war
for retail software specialist Retek. The Redwood Shores, Calif., company is
adding products and technology to battle SAP and others
in the enterprise software space.

News of the talks comes shortly after Siebel CEO J. Michael Lawrie resigned after just a year in the top spot and
four straight disappointing quarters.

A longtime software CRM provider, Siebel has recently invested heavily in
the hosted model that caters to small- to medium- sized businesses, called
CRM OnDemand. The San Mateo, Calif., company has enhanced the
product seven times as it tries to eat into the market share enjoyed by
rival Salesforce.com.