Oracle, Microsoft battle to fill small firms’ needs

Kelly McNeill writes “Small businesses will spend $7 billion on such software this year. That should climb to $47 billion by 2006, according to research firm Keenan Vision. Oracle and Microsoft covet the same sweet spot: companies apt to spend $1,500 to $5,000 a year on software that can boost profitability. Yet it will be tough. Hemmed in by shoestring budgets and time constraints, small firms won’t tolerate complicated or superfluous software.”