Friday, 26 October 2007

APJ Remains Major Growth Engine for SAP

Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) has once again emerged as SAP’s fastest growing region reporting yet another quarter of double-digit growth across the region.Total revenues for the third quarter in Asia …

Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) has once again emerged as SAP’s fastest growing region reporting yet another quarter of double-digit growth across the region.

Total revenues for the third quarter in Asia Pacific grew 20 percent year-on-year to 318 million Euros.

“SAP Asia Pacific Japan has had a tremendous year so far, with particularly dynamic growth in India, Korea and Greater China, as well as continued double digit growth in Australia and Japan,” said Geraldine McBride, President and CEO, SAP Asia Pacific Japan.

“The signing of 539 new customers – more than 8 per working day, is testament to the strength of our offerings and the quality of our people in the region.

“Our customers are strongly motivated to grow their business and want to derive real value from the systems they implement - SAP directly addresses those needs by offering the best value products, developed and implemented by a very talented global team,” said McBride.

Compared with the previous comparable period, FY2007 Q3 growth in SAP Asia Pacific Japan’s software revenue grew 28 percent to 119 million Euros. SAP’s Q3 software and software related service revenues grew 24 percent to 237 million Euros. Excluding Japan, those revenues were up 30 percent.

SAP said it will continue to invest in maintaining its leadership position in the fast growing APJ region, adding 1227 full time employees in the first nine months of 2007, bringing the regional total to nearly 9000 full-time equivalent employees. Consistent with SAP’s sustained investment commitment to innovation-fueled growth, many of those new employees are working at SAP’s development labs in the region.
SAP’s sustained level of growth across the region has also fueled expansion of its award-winning Shared Services Centre in Singapore, which is now housed in larger premises, seamlessly delivering best-of-breed services to SAP employees across the entire region.

In Q3, SAP also opened it first offices in Vietnam with a presence in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

“With Asia Pacific’s inherent economic growth potential, SAP’s offerings continue to appeal to customers of all sizes wanting to partner with a trusted industry-leader who can help them take full advantage of opportunities in the region and beyond” continued McBride.

“Key to our success has been the continued embrace of SAP by fast-growing small and midsize enterprise organizations, all keen to compete globally.”

More than half of all new signings in the region are SME customers.”

SAP’s global small and midsize enterprise (SME) business contributes 31 percent of SAP’s worldwide total order entry on a rolling four quarter basis. SAP’s global goal of 100,000 customers by 2010 will be underpinned by the SAP Asia Pacific Japan commitment to triple its SME customer base.