NIU’s finances are functioning without a hitch, while PeopleSoft Inc., one provider of university software, continues to battle Oracle in an attempt to take over the financial software provider.

PeopleSoft software has served as the basis of NIU’s financial management system for the last seven years, when NIU began purchasing the software. It replaced the outdated system, which has been rendered obsolete, that had been in use since July 1973, said Eddie WIlliams, executive vice president of Operations, Finance & Facilities.

PeopleSoft has made headlines, most recently, after a court ruling allowed the Oracle Corporation to continue its takeover bid of PeopleSoft, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Oracle’s $7.7 billion attempt to take over PeopleSoft may be hurting college officials who are concerned that a large company may ignore PeopleSoft products, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

NIU officials feel that their financial system will carry over just fine, Williams said.

Financial systems are necessary to budget different departments in the university, Williams said.

NIU already has much of PeopleSoft’s software in place, Williams said. The only systems that are not running on PeopleSoft are Human Resources and the Student System. The rest of the PeopleSoft systems have already been upgraded three times.

The student system will serve the Financial Aid office, Bursar’s office and Registration and Records system, said Donald R. Larson, executive director of Enrollment Services and Registration & Records.

“When a student registers, we’d like to provide a running bill,” Larson said.

That sort of system would be much smoother to run than the current one which forces students to wait until their schedules have been processed by the Bursar’s office, to see their bill and make a payment, Larson said.

NIU has taken preemptive measures to make sure their software is under warranty if Oracle does buy out the No. 1 provider of software to universities, Williams said. NIU is also “staggering its acquisition of new PeopleSoft software” until they get more clarity, Williams said.

Purchasing software for management of student financial services will have to wait until NIU finds out how the PeopleSoft issue will play out, Williams said.