The importance of business intelligence (BI) to service-oriented architecture (SOA) vendors was highlighted this month by deals by IBM and SAP AG involving Business Objects SA.

IBM and SAP have placed BI bets on Business Objects, explains James Kobielus, principal analyst for data management at Current Analysis LLC., who is covering the convergence of SOA and BI. SAP made a friendly takeover bid for Business Objects this month, but promised this past week to maintain the independence of the vendor. That declaration of independence allows IBM to continue OEMing Business Objects technology, including the venerable Crystal Reports, as the BI component in its SOA product line.

Meanwhile, other SOA vendors including Oracle Corp. and its takeover target BEA Systems Inc. follow their own paths to BI, Kobielus said.