Oracle is buying another company: this time a provider of back-end software for telcos called MetaSolv Software. By Oracle's standards, this is a small purchase, around $219.2m cash.

Based in Plano, Texas, Metasolv specialises in OSS software, which in the telecoms world means Operations Support System (not Open Source Software).

This is nuts and bolts stuff - service delivery and network management software - and Metasolv has built a strong roster of customers around the world. It has also built a decent revenue stream - the run rate is around $25m a quarter. But profits are not exactly sparkling: net income was $649,000 in Q2 this year, while the company posted a $113,000 loss in Q1.

Post-acquisition, MetaSolv's staff will join Oracle's Communications Global Business Unit. The deal should close late this year, or early next. ®