The deal, valued at $45 per share, is worth a total of approximately $4.3bn. In the process, SAP picks up a leading cloud-based network that brings together business buyers and sellers. "With the addition of Ariba," SAP said in a statement, "SAP will acquire the leader in cloud-based collaborative business commerce." The transaction signals a strategy by SAP to expand its offerings in the cloud. Previously, it had announced a "road map" for developing its cloud applications business, focusing on customers, suppliers, employees and financials. Current SAP applications offered in the cloud include SAP BusinessByDesign and SAP Business One. Based in Sunnyvale, Calif. Ariba has a workforce of around 2,600 and is the second-largest cloud vendor by revenue, according to SAP. Revenues in 2011 were $444m. Ariba's network links more than $319bn in commerce transactions among more than 730,000 companies. SAP said its integration expertise, combined with Ariba's open network, "will extend the benefits of business collaboration to all companies, on any system, from any provider." Ariba's network, SAP added, will benefit from its access to SAP's in-memory platform, SAP HANA. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2012, subject to stockholder and regulatory approvals.

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