SAP's offer on Sunday to acquire Business Objects for $6.8 billion, or $59.35 per share, could help further consolidate the shrinking pool of vendors that provide software used by businesses to power their back office systems, according to analysts. The proposed deal "highlights the probability of more acquisitions given that traditional software is mature and ripe for consolidation," said Credit Suisse analyst Jason Maynard, in a research note published Monday. Maynard said that the list of independent business software vendors that might now be considered acquisition targets includes BEA, Cognos, and Informatica. Shareholders of Cognos, a maker of business intelligence software similar to that sold by Business Objects, appeared to be the biggest beneficiaries of such speculation. Cognos shares were up about 10% in early trading Monday. Shares of Informatica were up more than 3%, while BEA shares were flat. SAP shares were trading off 5.25% on news of the deal, while Business Objects shares were up 15%.