Oracle offers to buy BEA Systems for $6.7B, continuing software consolidation

October 12, 2007 | Matt Marshall | Comments | |

updated
oracle31.jpgOracle is negotiating to acquire software company BEA Systems for $6.7 billion, in a bid to continue its massive feast on other software companies over the past three years.

Oracle’s strategy has paid off — its stock price has revived, now that company has absorbed something like 35 prey, for more than $28 billion (past coverage) We’d originally expressed skepticism that the strategy was working.

The offer was made at $17 a share, a 25 percent premium over the company’s current worth. In the early post-bubble years, BEA had been one of Silicon Valley’s hottest companies. Its Web application servers did well as business applications came online, but then it got squeezed big competitors moving to adapt.

One apparent beneficiary is Carl Ichan, who had taken a large 13 percent position in BEA, and would see a big profit if the deal goes through.

Oracle announced two days ago it would buy LogicalApps.

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Matt Marshall is editor and CEO of VentureBeat. Follow him on Twitter at @mmarshall, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • sam
    ummmm....

    oracle has made an announcement to purchase, in other words, an offer....

    the sale hasn't been completed yet...

    peace..
  • Sammy
    Matt,

    Really - do get the headline right. It is an offer. Way way different (esp given Oracle's track record) than a done deal.

    Affects credibility.
  • Mark G.
  • Sorry about that. Fixed!
  • I was just reading this article in my feed reader and was going to correct you, but it was already done. Still, keep up the good work.
  • I think Oracle is planning world domination! Nice post.