SAP History

The 1970s: A Real-Time Vision
In 1972, five former IBM employees launch a company called Systems, Applications, and
Products in Data Processing in Mannheim, Germany. One year later, the first financial
accounting software is complete, forming the basis for the continuous development of other
software components in what later came to be known as the "R/1 system.

The 1980s: Rapid Growth
The SAP R/2 system attains the high level of stability of the previous generation of
programs.

The 1990s: A New Approach to Software and Solutions
SAP R/3 is unleashed on the market. By 1996, the company has earned 1,089 new SAP R/3
customers. At the end of the year, SAP R/3 has been installed in more than 9,000 systems
worldwide.

The 2000s: Innovation for the New Millennium
With the Internet, the user becomes the focus of software applications. Currently, more than
12 million users work each day with SAP solutions. There are now 121,000 installations
worldwide, more than 1,500 SAP partners, over 25 industry-specific business solutions, and
more than 41,200 customers in 120 countries. SAP is the world's third-largest independent
software vendor.