* Sees Q1 rev $220-$225 mln vs est. $215.7 mln

* Q4 adj EPS $0.42 vs est $0.35

* Q4 revenue $289.5 mln vs est $281.2 mln

* Shares up 3 pct after market

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Business software maker Tibco Software Inc posted strong quarterly results, helped by higher service and maintenance fees, and forecast first-quarter revenue above analyst estimates on strong demand.

The company sees first-quarter revenue of $220-$225 million, while Wall Street analysts were expecting $215.7 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Customers are preferring Tibco to bigger database and enterprise solution providers, Chief Executive Vivek Ranadivé said in a post-earnings conference call.

"We are seeing very, very strong demand. And in some ways, we are not seeing that softness that everyone is talking about."

On Tuesday, Oracle Corp's earnings missed Wall Street forecasts and the No.3 software maker gave weak current-quarter forecasts, raising questions about the health of the technology sector.

Last month, rival Pegasystems' third-quarter results fell short of expectations as revenue from software licenses fell by a quarter, and the company lowered its full-year forecast.

Tibco, which was spun off from Reuters in 1999, makes software to coordinate business processes and manage workflow.

The company forecast first-quarter adjusted earnings of 18-19 cents per share, compared with market expectations of 19 cents per share.

Tibco's fourth-quarter net income rose to $51.9 million, or 30 cents per share, from $37.5 million, or 22 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding items, it earned 42 cents per share.

Revenue rose to $289.5 million from $241.2 million.

Shares of the Palo Alto, California-based company were up 3 percent in extended trade, after closing at $22 on Nasdaq on Wednesday.

• A Permanent Economic Emergency