Oracle has entered into an agreement to acquire InQuira, maker of knowledge management software that supports Web self-service and agent-assisted service.

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, InQuira is privately held, and boasts more than 85 blue-chip customers.

Commenting on the rationale of the acquisition, Oracle said that companies are searching for a solution that can provide them with a high-value, differentiated customer experience online and in the contact centre.

InQuira's solutions help customers to find more relevant answers to questions online or from a service agent guided by a scalable knowledge management platform.

"The acquisition of InQuira provides Oracle with a complete knowledge management suite, integrated with self-service support, online customer forums and agent-assisted CRM," said Anthony Lye, SVP of Oracle CRM.

"We expect InQuira to be the centerpiece for Oracle Fusion CRM Service. With InQuira, Oracle will provide an integrated suite of proven solutions that deliver a comprehensive and highly personalised experience for every customer, across all channels."

"With integrated knowledge management, companies have the ability to capture, create, understand and deliver the right answers when customers need it," said Mike Murphy, CEO of InQuira. "We are excited to join Oracle and offer a comprehensive cross channel customer support solution."