# BigMachines

> Configure, price, quote cloud software owned by Oracle

**Wikidata**: [Q4904864](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4904864)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BigMachines)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bigmachines

## Summary
BigMachines was a software company founded in 2000 that specialized in Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) cloud software for enterprise sales. Headquartered in Austin, the company was merged into Oracle Corporation in 2013 and its technology continues to operate under the aliases Oracle CPQ and Oracle CPQ Cloud.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** Founded in 2000.
- **Dissolved:** Merged into Oracle Corporation in 2013.
- **Headquarters:** Austin.
- **Classification:** Instance of a software company.
- **Primary Product:** Enterprise software, specifically Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) cloud software.
- **Ownership:** Owned by Oracle Corporation.
- **Current Status:** Operates as Oracle Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ), also known as Oracle CPQ or Oracle CPQ Cloud.
- **Identifiers:** Crunchbase organization ID `bigmachines`; Freebase ID `/m/027wt0g`.
- **Online Presence:** Maintains a website at `https://www.oracle.com/cx/sales/cpq/`.
- **Wikipedia Data:** Wikipedia title "BigMachines"; available in English (sitelink count: 1).

## FAQs
### What was the primary function of BigMachines?
BigMachines developed enterprise software designed to streamline the "Configure, Price, Quote" (CPQ) process and general sales operations. Its cloud-based platform helped businesses automate the creation of accurate, approved quotes for complex products and services.

### What happened to BigMachines?
The company was dissolved as an independent entity in 2013 when it was merged into Oracle Corporation. Following the acquisition, the software was rebranded and integrated into the Oracle ecosystem as Oracle CPQ and Oracle CPQ Cloud.

### Where was BigMachines based?
The company maintained its headquarters in Austin.

## Why It Matters
BigMachines represents a significant case study in the consolidation of the cloud software market, specifically within the Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) sector. As a specialized software company, it focused on solving the complex operational challenges businesses face when pricing and configuring custom solutions. Its acquisition and subsequent merger into Oracle Corporation in 2013 highlight the value of CPQ tools in modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer experience (CX) suites. By transitioning from an independent entity to a core component of Oracle's sales cloud, the BigMachines technology helped define standards for automated sales configuration in the cloud computing industry.

## Notable For
- **Specialized CPQ Focus:** Distinguished by its specific utility in the "Configure, Price, Quote" sector of enterprise software.
- **Oracle Integration:** Notable for being fully merged into Oracle Corporation, serving as the underlying technology for Oracle CPQ Cloud.
- **Cloud-Based Delivery:** Operated as cloud software, distinguishing it from legacy on-premise configuration tools.
- **Enterprise Utility:** Its primary use case in "sales" and "enterprise software" positioned it as a business-to-business (B2B) solution.

## Body
### Corporate History and Structure
BigMachines was established in 2000 as a software company focused on developing non-tangible executable components for business operations. Classified as an instance of a "software company," its primary industry was the software sector, specifically targeting enterprise needs.

The company was headquartered in Austin. It operated as an independent organization until 2013, at which point it was dissolved and merged into Oracle Corporation. Following this merger, the entity is now owned by Oracle Corporation.

### Product and Utility
The core product of BigMachines was enterprise software delivered via the cloud. The software was designed to facilitate the "Configure, Price, Quote" (CPQ) process, aiding sales teams in generating accurate pricing and proposals for complex product configurations.

As a software company, its primary activity involved software development to create tools that automated business processes. The software is categorized under the broader umbrella of sales and enterprise resource tools.

### Identity and Aliases
Since the merger, the entity has been known by several aliases within the Oracle ecosystem. These include:
- Oracle Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)
- Oracle CPQ
- Oracle CPQ Cloud

The entity maintains specific identifiers across knowledge bases, including a Crunchbase organization ID of `bigmachines` and a Freebase ID of `/m/027wt0g`. It is listed as a Quora Topic under the name "BigMachines."

### Digital Footprint
The software currently resides at the official website `https://www.oracle.com/cx/sales/cpq/`. Historical and encyclopedic data regarding the entity is limited to a single English sitelink on Wikipedia under the title "BigMachines."

## References

1. Google Knowledge Graph
2. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)