Oracle said on Friday, December 20, that it would be buying enterprise software firm Responsys for about $1.5 billion excluding debt, The Dealbook reported. The cash deal is equivalent to $27 a share, a 38% premium on the closing stock price of Responsys on Thursday at $19.52. Although the transaction has already been approved by the Responsys board, shareholders will be given the chance to cast their votes on the deal early in 2014.

Oracle's most recent acquisition would enable it to extend its reach into online marketing. Responsys is a software maker that enables brands to harmonize their email, mobile, display and social advertising online.

The report quoted Responsys Chief Executive Officer Dan Springer who said in a statement, "Responsys has always been focused on helping marketers realize their largest opportunity - coordinating their marketing touch points across channels, across the customer lifecycle, and across industries. As a part of Oracle, we will only accelerate our efforts."

Oracle, led by Lawrence J. Ellison, is one of Silicon Valley's most prolific acquirers, the report said. This year, it has bought at least seven firms, Responsys included. Earlier in 2013, it has forged a $2.1 billion deal for Acme Packet.

The report also said that its newer purchases have been focused on newer style cloud computing firms that provide products on a per-use basis instead of an outright sale. This compared with ten years ago when its purchases were focused on established software companies that have a huge customer base.

One year ago, Oracle also bought Eloqua for $871 million. Eloqua makes software that manages the cost and performance of marketing campaigns. Marketing is particularly hot these days since firms now use the Internet to advertise and talk directly with their customers, the report said.

Responsys debuted on the Nasdaq two years ago.