The DOJ made the request Monday afternoon in a move that had been widely anticipated by legal experts who felt that Oracle's hostile bid to purchase a top competitor in the enterprise applications space could raise enough concerns about possible antitrust violations.

"As expected, Oracle today received a second request," said Oracle spokesman Jim Finn. "We were not surprised given the size and scope of the transaction and the fact that PeopleSoft is also proposing its own transaction, which is undergoing regulatory review. It is important not to confuse process with outcome."

The move effectively means the battle that pits Pleasanton, Calif.'s PeopleSoft, who is trying to acquire mid-market applications provider J.D. Edwards, against Oracle, who wants to buy PeopleSoft to challenge SAP and stave off Microsoft's growing power, will be protracted. Oracle has no deadline for forking over that requested information.

Conversely, legal experts widely agreed that if the DOJ or Federal Trade Commission did not ask Redwood Shores, Calif.'s Oracle for more info regarding its intent, that the bid to merge with PeopleSoft would be almost certain.

Finn said the DOJ received the case less than two weeks ago and did not have enough time to gauge the "highly fragmented enterprise software marketplace in such a brief time."

"We remain optimistic that the Department of Justice will conclude that this transaction is not anti-competitive, and that we will complete the transaction in a timely manner," Finn said.

Ken Marlin, managing partner of investment banking firm Marlin & Associates, which specializes in media and tech mergers and acquisitions, said he wasn't at all surprised by the DOJ's request.

"Once you skyline something for the DOJ, you can be sure they'll take a hard look at it," Marlin told internetnews.com. "One of the reasons for this is that PeopleSoft raised customer interest against the merger by encouraging customers to call the DOJ and express their views. Another action that pointed toward further review was the filing of the antitrust lawsuit by Connecticut."

Oracle certainly hopes so. The company Monday continued its barrage of promises to PeopleSoft customers that it will not leave them stranded.

In a public statement, the company reiterated its pledge to not shut down PeopleSoft products, or force customers to migrate to Oracle E-Business Suite applications. It also agreed to provide free module-to-module upgrades for those that do wish to begin using Oracle software.

In a new wrinkle, Oracle promised support for PeopleSoft products for at least ten years beyond the timeframe to which PeopleSoft has committed to customers.

"We are determined to provide PeopleSoft customers with more responsive and global support than they've ever enjoyed," said Charles E. Phillips, executive vice president, Oracle Corporation. "PeopleSoft products will be enhanced and supported and Oracle will protect and improve the substantial investment PeopleSoft customers have already made. We have a long history of stellar customer support via the largest enterprise software support team in the industry. We stand by our record and intend to go directly to the PeopleSoft customers to set that record straight."

Those pledges are part of Oracle's softened stance since offering to acquire PeopleSoft June 6 for $5.1 billion at $16 per share. Oracle would later up its bid to $19.50, equivalent to $6.3 billion, as well as exchange lawsuits with PeopleSoft.

The case has been quiet in the last week or so, as the companies were awaiting word from the DOJ, although Oracle has continued its steady beat of casting its bid in the most positive of lights.

Last week, the firm killed a condition that PeopleSoft not alter its deal to acquire J.D. Edwards despite the fact that PeopleSoft had already increased its offer for the Denver outfot from $1.7 billion to $1.75 billion.


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