Oracle earnings up

Oracle Corp. the database

software maker said its fiscal first-quarter ended August 31 net income

rose 21 per cent, surged by higher sales to companies trying to power

electronic commerce over the Internet.

Net income rose to $237 million or 16 cents a share

in the quarter ended August 31, from $ 195 million or 13 cents, a year

earlier. Revenue rose 13 per cent to $ 2 billion from $ 1.7 billion a year

earlier. Oracle had a blow out quarter earlier this year, reporting a

profit growth of 31 per cent and a 22 per cent jump in sales for the

period ended in May.