Proving that not all of today’s big tech news will be coming from Las Vegas, Redwood City-based hardware and enterprise systems giant Oracle Corp. has signed an agreement to purchase Virginia-based media web-tracking firm AddThis.
Both companies delivered the news today on their respective blogs, with AddThis CEO Richard Harris writing that the “proposed acquisition will help us turbocharge our mission to make the web more personal, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
“All kudos go to our talented employees, who have developed amazing website marketing products used by more than 15 million websites around the globe,” Harris wrote.
Since AddThis was founded in 2004, its orange plus logo has become a fixture throughout the web, allowing people to share content across their various social networks.
In acquiring the company Oracle plans to incorporate AddThis into Oracle Data Cloud, its Data as a Service (DaaS) business which allows marketers to measure consumer behavior across media channels, then harness the data collected for targeted, personalized campaigns.
“With the addition of AddThis, Oracle Data Cloud’s offering is expected to deliver unprecedented levels of audience insight, measurement and reach,” Oracle wrote in its press release announcing the acquisition.
As for how the purchase will affect daily operations at AddThis, for now Oracle has told AddThis customers and partners to continue using their existing contacts for support, professional services, and sales, noting in its press release that Oracle is “currently reviewing the existing AddThis product roadmap.”
Alan Lepofsky, a Toronto-based analyst with Constellation Strategy & Analytical Services, sees potential in the acquisition, tweeting that the deal “could provide information about people’s habits and interests.”
