BEA Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAS) and Plumtree Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUM) announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which BEA will acquire Plumtree for approximately USD$200 million in cash. Plumtree Software provides enterprise portal solutions to connect disparate work groups, IT systems and business processes. Its portfolio runs on both J2EE and .Net. By combining the Plumtree and BEA portal portfolios, BEA will be able to better provide customers with improved enterprise productivity by offering both collaborative and transactional portals across multiple platforms and application servers. Under terms of the agreement, BEA will pay USD$5.50 per share, in cash, plus the assumption of outstanding Plumtree options, for a total transaction value of approximately USD$200 million. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, Plumtree shareholder approval and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the fall of calendar year 2005. Upon close of the transaction, Plumtree will become a part of a new BEA product unit. BEA Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, Mark Carges, and Plumtree Software Chief Executive Officer, John Kunze, will lead the transition. Headquartered in San Francisco, Plumtree was founded in 1996 and has approximately 400 employees, more than 21 million worldwide users, and more than 700 customers. http://www.bea.com,