TECHNOLOGY : MORE ON TECH : Oracle Boosts President’s Pay as Rivals Court Him

Oracle Corp. nearly tripled President Ray Lane’s salary and bonus to $3.25 million in a year that Lane, the database software company’s second-in-command, was being courted to head Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Lane’s salary rose to $1 million, up $25,000, in the fiscal year ended May 31, and his bonus rose to $2.25 million, up from $206,000, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Lane, 52, also received 1.125 million stock options. Chief Executive Larry Ellison, meanwhile, was paid $3.75 million in salary and bonus in the fiscal year ended May 31 and was granted 1.5 million stock options that would be worth about $40 million if the company’s stock rises 10% annually, the company said in the SEC filing. Oracle also said in its filing that it is doubling the number of shares that it can issue to 4 billion from 2 billion. An Oracle spokeswoman didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment on the filing. Shares of Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Oracle closed up 50 cents at $44.31 on Nasdaq.