Oracle will start selling computer hardware for the first time, signaling an ambition to become more than a one-stop shop for business software. The expansion announced Wednesday by Chief Executive Larry Ellison calls for Oracle's sales team to peddle a "database machine" and a smaller storage product, both made by HP. Both pieces of hardware are designed to help companies fetch information stored on Oracle's database software more quickly while taking up less space in corporate data centers.

The database machine will sell for $650,000 and store up to 168 terabytes.