SAP Company Facts – Investor FAQ

Investor FAQ

 
Company Facts

* When was SAP founded?

* What products and services does SAP offer?

* What does the acronym “SAP” stand for?

* Where can I find information about the SAP Executive Board?

* What is SAP’s current headcount?

* How much does SAP invest annually in research and development?

* What is a credit rating? Does SAP have a credit rating?

* Do SAP employees participate in the company’s success?

* What are the largest competitors of SAP?

* When will SAP announce its next quarterly figures?

* Which accounting standard does SAP use for its annual financial 

   statements?.

* In what currency are SAP’s results reported?

* Where can I read current SAP business and financial news?

* Where can I order SAP’s latest annual report?

When was SAP founded?

In 1972, five former IBM employees founded SAP. Their vision was to develop standard application software for real-time processing.

What products and services does SAP offer?

 
SAP is a world leader in business solutions, offering comprehensive software and services that address the unique needs of customers around the world. More information can be found on the SAP Solutions page.

What does the acronym “SAP” stand for?

 
“SAP” stands for Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing.

Where can I find information about the SAP Executive Board?
Access the Executive Board page for information about the SAP Executive Board.

What is SAP’s current headcount?

 
Reflecting its success, SAP hired many highly qualified professionals during 2007, strengthening our foundation for future success and continued growth. The number of full-time employees grew by 6,448 in 2007, of which some 500 were related to acquisitions. At the end of the year, SAP employed 44,023 people worldwide, of whom 14,749 were located in Germany.
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
29,610 32,205 35,873 39,355 44,023 Employees at year end
+3% +9% +11% +10% +12% Change since previous year 

How much does SAP invest annually in research and development?

 
SAP recognizes that we must continuously improve our portfolio of innovative products to maintain our leading position as a vendor of business software. R&D expenses grew 9% in 2007 to €1,458 million. The portion of total revenue that SAP spent (based on the adjusted measure) on R&D in 2007 was unchanged at 14%. Expenses for R&D include employee salaries and costs for externally procured development activities.
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
832 900 1,071 1,287 1,458 Adjusted R&D expenses (in millions of euros)
-7% +8% +19% +20% +9% Growth (year-over-year) 

What is a credit rating? Does SAP have a credit rating?

 
A credit rating is a qualified assessment and formal evaluation of a company’s creditworthiness and capability of repaying outstanding obligations on time. Credit ratings are especially interesting for companies issuing corporate bonds on the capital market in order to gain additional liquidity in the form of debt.

SAP does not have a credit rating from rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s because of our sound liquidity situation and minimal debt. In addition, SAP has not issued corporate bonds on the financial market and does not rely on debt capital to finance the company.

Do SAP employees participate in the company’s success?

 
SAP offers our employees and managers various investment programs, such as the STAR, LTI, and SOP Plans as well as the Incentive Plan 2010.

What are the largest competitors of SAP?

 
Our main competitors are Microsoft and Oracle.

When will SAP announce its next quarterly figures?

 
Announcement dates are listed on our Financial Calendar.

Which accounting standard does SAP use for its annual financial statements?
Since fiscal year 1999 the accounts have been prepared with full disclosure in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP).

This ensures direct comparability with the financial statements of our international competitors. In addition to the many disclosures required under U.S. GAAP, the notes to our statements contain a great deal of extra detail that we provide voluntarily.

In what currency are SAP’s results reported?

 
SAP is a European company, so our results are reported in euros.

Where can I read current SAP business and financial news?

 
Current SAP business and financial news are listed under Financial News and in the Press Room.

Where can I order SAP’s latest annual report?

 
You can order annual reports here