SAP Sheds Frugal Ways

Schwarz estimated that business intelligence software is currently a $10 billion market, growing at 10% a year.

With dual headquarters in France and the U.S., Business Objects makes for a "very complicated acquisition because so many products overlap, particularly in performance management," Hamerman says.

Due to SAP's acquisition of the much smaller OutlookSoft and Business Objects' purchase this year of Cartesis, SAP will now have multiple planning and budgeting systems, financial consolidation products, profitability management tools and offerings in performance scorecarding, Hamerman says.

"They are going to have to articulate a roadmap" for these overlapping products, but likely will not cease to support any because the maintenance fees paid by customers represent "a profitable revenue stream they wouldn't want to jeopardize," Hamerman says.

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