Oracle developed the Oracle Database and was founded by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates.
The founders established Software Development Laboratories in 1977. The company later adopted the Oracle name, inspired by a database project associated with the CIA. Oracle’s early commercial product was a relational database management system based on ideas described in a research paper by IBM scientist Edgar F. Codd.
Relational databases organize information into tables that can be queried and linked. Oracle became a leading supplier of database software for businesses, governments, and large institutions. Its enterprise products later expanded into applications, servers, cloud infrastructure, and other business technology.
Oracle is sometimes confused with MySQL because Oracle Corporation acquired MySQL’s owner, Sun Microsystems, in 2010. MySQL remains a distinct database system, while Oracle Database is Oracle’s flagship enterprise relational database product.