SAP Observations

Observations from the 1q2009 and 2008 reports

it intended to reduce its workforce globally to 48,500 positions by year-end 2009, taking full advantage of attrition as a factor in reaching this goal

Yeah, this damn attrition, we make it a positive... (and I thought that "One of SAP's greatest achievements as a company is that we are continuously recognized as an employer of choice by employees who perceive SAP a great place to work.").

On March 11, SAP and Sybase, an industry leader in delivering enterprise and mobile software, announced a partnership centred around co-innovation that will change how users access critical business information anytime, anywhere. The two companies are co-innovating and collaborating to deliver the new SAP Business Suite software for the first time to iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and other devices by integrating it with Sybase’s industry-leading mobile enterprise application platform.

Yeah, Sybase, the great industry leader...

On March 4, SAP announced it will collaborate with Intel to optimize SAP Business One applications on Intel Xeon Processor based systems to enable small businesses to lower cost by achieving faster time to value of their IT investments. SAP and Intel intend to encourage original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and solution providers to create industry-specific bundles to leverage the results of this collaboration.

Yeah, Intel, it sucks not to control the hardware...

On March 4, SAP announced plans to integrate pre-configured ..., providing customers with instant access to trusted and timely data.

Yeah, boah, ...

SAP announced that its sustainability efforts will be led by a newly formed cross-functional sustainability organization headed by SAP’s first chief sustainability officer.

Yeah, wow, and I bet he/she will be part of the "Vorstand".

On February 4, SAP unveiled SAP Business Suite 7 software, a next-generation software suite that helps businesses to optimize their performance and reduce IT cost.

Yeah, reducing IT cost is good! Now, wait a moment, what else is new?

SAP will discontinue its U.S. GAAP reporting and will only report financial data under IFRS from fiscal 2010 onwards.

Yeah! :-)

employees working in development teams ... 15'401

Sales and marketing costs for 1q2009 was EUR 513 million compared to research and development costs of EUR 365 million (a factor of 1.4).

68% of the equity consists of goodwill! Well, well, that's the Business Objects aquisition.

Change in deferred income is very high! Why? OK, this must be the client payments in advance for the rest of the year.

We have issued loans to employees other than to members of SAP AG’s Executive Board and Supervisory Board amounting to a gross value of €63 million, and €64 million, at March 31, 2009, and December 31, 2008, respectively. Loans granted to employees primarily consist of interest-free or below-market-rate building loans which SAP discounts for financial reporting purposes based on prevailing market rates. SAP has not experienced significant default on loans to employees. There have been no loans to employees or executives to assist them in exercising stock options.

So why does SAP give loans to employees?!!!

2008

82'000 companies use SAP software.

Three founders keep holding now only 28.7% of the shares (not considering treasury shares).

SAP’s Skills On-Demand library provides employees with access to approximately 13,000 e-learning courses, books, simulations, and other learning materials that can help employees expand their skill sets and drive their career development.

...

Open Source
Software based on the concept of software developers coming together to build a virtual community and solving a common problem by developing working software.

Yeah, working software is always good.

Successful development projects under the Open Source model include Linux - a free operating system supported by SAP.

Yeah, thanks SAP!

patch support
Product support phase during which SAP provides fixes to customers. Adopted from the BusinessObjects support policy.

Yeah, good to know they have patches, aeh, support patches, aeh, have patchwork support. Patch support.