The end is finally in sight in Oracle's dogged quest for BEA Systems. The pending deal calls for Oracle to pay $8.5 billion, a 14 percent increase over its first offer, which put the companies in a tussle over how much BEA is worth. Oracle will pay $19.375 per share for BEA, higher than the $17 per share it offered in October but lower than the $21 per share BEA had previously demanded. "It's a fair price. It's a good deal for Oracle. It's a good deal for BEA," Trip Chowdhry, analyst at Global Equities Research, told Reuters. The stock market may be softening these days, but here's a case of a tech win in tough times.

For more on the BEA deal:
- See this eWeek article [1]