Deal-crazy Oracle to buy Acme Packet for an astounding $2.1B

Enterprise software titan Oracle has agreed to acquire networking technology company Acme Packet for $2.1 billion, the company announced today.

Oracle announced agreements to purchase 11 companies in 2012, including high-profile buys of Taleo, Eloqua, Vitrue, and Skire. Now, a month into 2013, Oracle yet again shows its willingness to buy tech rather than create it.

Under the terms of the deal, Oracle will pay $29.25 a share for Acme Packet, which is 22 percent above its closing price Friday. The fully diluted equity value of the deal is $2.1 billion, while Oracle says the “enterprise value” is $1.7 billion.

Acme Packet claims to enable the “first-class delivery of next-generation voice, data, and unified communications services and applications across IP networks.” So it should help Oracle deliver those solutions in its products for enterprises, according to Oracle President Mark Hurd.

“The addition of Acme Packet to Oracle’s leading communications portfolio will enable service providers and enterprises to deliver innovative solutions that will change the way we interact, conduct commerce, deliver healthcare, secure our homes, and much more,” Hurd said in a statement.

While the deal is still pending, some are questioning whether Acme Packet got the best possible deal for its shareholders. The law firm Ademi & O’Reilly announced today that it is “investigating the Board of Directors of Acme Packet, Inc. for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law in connection with the sale of Acme to Oracle Corporation.”

Pile of money image via Shutterstock