Oracle Cuts Price of Database Software

Oracle Corp. cut the price of its database software while unveiling a new edition, Oracle 9i, a move that it hopes will stem growth in its main market by rivals IBM Corp. and Microsoft Corp.

Oracle said it will stop charging more for its software when it’s used on faster computers. It now will charge customers based on the number of computer processors used to run its software, as IBM and Microsoft do. IBM and Microsoft rebutted Oracle’s claim that the new pricing will beat theirs.