Oracle's Network Computer Inc. (NCI) division went back into the wars with Microsoft today when it announced it had completed the purchase of Navio Communications.

Navio, a maker of browsers for a wide variety of devices including thin clients and handheld computers, will be Oracle's challenge to Microsoft's recently purchased WebTV Networks; WebTV makes devices that let users access the Web over TV sets. Also in the fray is Sun which recently boiught Diba, a maker of digital appliances including set-top boxes.

Both Oracle and Sun expect to have set-top box products based on their newly acquired technologies available before the end of the year.

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