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Company Information

Company Information

SAP is the world leader in enterprise applications in terms of software and software-related service revenue. Based on market capitalization, we are the world’s third largest independent software manufacturer. Browse SAP facts and information below.

SAP Facts and Information

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425,000+

Customers in more than 180 countries

46 yrs.

96,000

Employees from 140+ countries

100+

Innovation and development centers

€23.46bn

Total Revenue (Non-IFRS) in FY2017

18,000+

SAP partner companies globally

186 mil.

Subscribers in our cloud user base

92%

Of Forbes Global 2000 are SAP customers
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For more details, view the SAP Corporate Fact Sheet

Worldwide location directory

Find locations of SAP offices in 130 countries, access specific SAP country and regional websites, and learn about the SAP Executive Briefing Centers.
Below are some of the top frequently asked questions about SAP.
 
What does "SAP" mean?
The acronym SAP stands for Systems, Applications, and Products in data processing. The SAP acronym was derived from the original German name, which was Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung. 
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How do you say SAP?
People often ask: How do you pronounce SAP? Since it is an acronym, SAP is pronounced as individual letters (S - A - P), not as a word (“sap").
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When was SAP started?
How old is SAP? SAP was founded in 1972 by five former IBM employees.  
 
Learn more about SAP's history
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What does the "SE" after SAP's name mean?
In 2014 SAP converted from a German “AG” corporation to an “SE” European company. A designated “European Company” (Societas Europaea, abbreviated as SE) is a supranational legal form under European law for commercial enterprises within the territory of the European Union.
 
The change was made to reflect SAP’s self-image as an international player with European roots. Presenting itself as a European Company reflects the importance of the Company’s European and international operations.
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How many employees does SAP have?

On December 31, 2018, we had 96,498 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees worldwide (December 31, 2018: 88,543).

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Is SAP committed to sustainability?
Sustainability is core to the overall business strategy at SAP and our vision to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. For us, sustainability means holistically managing the financial, social, and environmental dimensions of business, in order to reduce economic risks and to seize opportunities for increased profitability. You can learn more in the Sustainability area of this website.
 
As our Integrated Report shows, SAP is committed to providing a comprehensive view of the dependencies between our economic, social and environmental performance. This also helps us move closer towards a sustainable business strategy that embeds sustainability deeply into how we create value for our customers, i.e., through the software we create for businesses around the world.
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SAP Integrated Report

SAP helps the world run better and improves peoples’ lives through our integrated strategy. We enable our customers to create positive economic, environmental and social impact on the world. Our Integrated Report details our performance and what is material for our sustainable business success.

A Discussion on Digital Transformation and the Future

SAP CEO Bill McDermott provides his perspective on market dynamics and SAP strategy, SAP’s portfolio, and how companies can work with SAP to accelerate value creation through digital technologies.

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SAP Leadership

Learn about SAP SE executives and view their bios.

SAP History

Founded by five entrepreneurial programmers in 1972, SAP has a 46-year history of business innovation and helping the world run better.
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Sustainability and CSR

Our sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts focus on creating a sustainable future for SAP, our customers, and society.

Diversity and Inclusion

Creating a diverse and inclusive culture makes us a better company, fueling our innovation, enhancing our work experience, and enabling our success in a changing world. 
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Security, Data Protection and Privacy

At SAP, information security is a priority. That’s why we focus significant research and resources protecting of our customers’ businesses.
 
 
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Innovation at SAP

From pioneering ERP software to new offerings like the SAP HANA in-memory computing platform, SAP innovation goes beyond software – we’re developing breakthrough technologies that shape IT and business trends.

Quality at SAP

Every SAP employee has a quality assurance role, whether developing software or providing services and support. We use innovative methods to support continuous product, process, and service quality improvement.
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Global Sponsorships

As the leader in technology software, SAP is proud to expand its relationships within the sports and entertainment world.  Partnerships with world-class teams, leagues and properties has afforded SAP the ability to create technology solutions that engage fans, media, players, coaches on another level, integrating real-time cloud based analytics.
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