Continuing with its spree of acquisitions, Oracle is to acquire yet another business applications vendor, the supply chain management company Demantra Inc. for an undisclosed sum, it has said. The acquisition will broaden its applications division.

Demantra's software includes analytics tools that help big businesses forecast demand for their products, as well as applications for planning sales and promotional activities. Demantra has about 140 customers, many of which are in the consumer goods, media and entertainment, manufacturing and fast-food industries. Its customers include fast-food outlet Wendy's International Inc., consumer goods maker Unilever Group and pharmaceutical conglomerate Johnson & Johnson Inc.

Its demand management software uses algorithms to help manufacturers and retailers predict demand for their products based on season, holidays and long-term trends, as well as promotions and pricing changes. The idea is to keep inventory and distribution costs low while keeping customers satisfied.

Oracle hopes to close the acquisition later this month subject to closing conditions, it said. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

Oracle is also in the process of buying billing applications vendor Portal Software Inc. for about $220 million. Other purchases include i-Flex Solutions, which makes banking applications, and Retek Inc. and ProfitLogic Inc., which make software for the retail industry.

Those deals are in addition to its multibillion-dollar purchases of PeopleSoft Inc. early last year and Siebel Systems Inc. in January. With Demantra, Oracle will have bought 20 companies in the past 18 months, according to its Web site.