Oracle Corp has quickly raised about $26.8m of the $108m it has agreed to pay Digital Equipment Corp for its Rdb and related businesses: earlier this year, Oracle UK Ltd bought Thames Valley Park near Reading for UKP20m and is building a new UKP30m UK headquarters on it (CI No 2,378): last week it sold 28 acres of the site to property company Argent Group Plc for UKP17.4m; Argent immediately sold seven acres on to British Gas Plc for UKP5.8m; British Gas wants to add to its existing offices on what is clearly regarded as a very attractive site.
