SAP AG and Business Objects S.A. have announced that the two companies have reached an agreement that will unite the two information technologies companies. Under the terms of a tender offer agreement SAP will make a cash offer of 42.00 Euros per common share, with the total agreement amounting to about 4.8 Billion Euro.
SAP has more than 41,000 customers worldwide running SAP applications in more than 120 countries. SAP has focused its growth in the Business User segment, and has grown from its delivery of the first business process platform to its enterprise SOA platform, SAP NetWeaver, and on to its launch of the first complete on-demand business solution for midsized companies, SAP Business ByDesign.
Business Objects has its corporate headquarters in Paris, France and is recognized as a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) software. Business Objects has solutions in information discovery and delivery, information management, analysis and performance management categories that is uses for more than 44,000 worldwide customers.
The two companies announced that Business Objects will operate as a stand-alone business as part of the SAP Group. A significant restructuring is not anticipated for either company. The transaction is expected to close within the first quarter of 2008.