Oracle Corp. last week agreed to buy Portal Software Inc., a maker of billing and revenue management software for the communications industry, for about US$220 million. Oracle expects the transaction to close in June and plans to integrate Portal's software capabilities into its ERP applications and the CRM software it acquired with Siebel Systems Inc. Oracle said it may use Portal's software for other industries.

Sun adds Microsoft link to thin clients

Sun Microsystems Inc. has rolled out the second generation of its Sun Ray thin-client devices and software with added links to Windows environments. The new offerings also include smart-card slots to enable "hot desking," which allows the use of Java-based cards to switch devices on the fly, starting up sessions where they left off.

NetApp to expand India operations

Network Appliance Inc. plans to expand a development center in Bangalore, India, that builds and supports several product lines, including its NetCache product. The center is also likely to run the company's worldwide information systems. The expansion will include a new 180,000-square-foot facility that will house about 750 engineers over the next two years.