History of SAP in Timeline

SAP SE, headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, is a leading multinational enterprise software company. Specializing in business operations and customer relationship management software, SAP is recognized as the world's largest ERP (enterprise resource planning) software vendor. Their software solutions assist businesses in streamlining operations, managing resources, and enhancing customer interactions.

1971: Xerox and IBM Agreement

In 1971, Xerox, exiting the computer hardware business, contracted IBM to migrate its systems. As part of the agreement, IBM gained access to the SDS/SAPE software repository.

June 1972: SAP Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung Founded

In June 1972, the company SAP Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung (System Analysis and Program Development, or SAPD) was established as a private partnership.

1972: Labs Walldorf Founded

SAP Labs Walldorf, SAP's primary location, was founded in 1972.

1973: Launch of RF Financial Accounting System

In 1973, SAP launched its first commercial product, the RF financial accounting system, which laid the foundation for the development of additional software modules that would eventually become SAP R/1.

1976: Establishment of SAP GmbH and Relocation

In 1976, SAP GmbH (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) was established for sales and support. Five years later, the original partnership dissolved, transferring its rights to SAP GmbH. Subsequently, the headquarters moved to Walldorf, Germany.

1976: Start of Transition to SAP GmbH

The five-year transition of SAP GbR to SAP GmbH began in 1976.

1979: Launch of SAP R/2

SAP launched SAP R/2 in 1979, extending the system's functionalities to areas like materials management and production planning.

1981: Re-designed Product Launch

A redesigned SAP product was introduced to the market in 1981.

1981: SAP GbR Becomes SAP GmbH

In 1981, after a five-year transition, SAP GbR officially became Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing), abbreviated as SAP GmbH.

1985: Beginning of SAP R/2 Improvements

Improvements to SAP R/2 began in 1985.

August 1988: SAP GmbH Becomes SAP AG

In August 1988, SAP GmbH transitioned to SAP AG.

November 1988: SAP's Public Trading Debut

Public trading of SAP shares commenced on November 4, 1988, on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges.

1990: End of SAP R/2 Improvement Period

The period of improvements for SAP R/2 concluded in 1990.

1991: SAP's Acquisition History

By 1991, SAP had acquired more than 70 companies.

1992: Launch of SAP R/3

SAP released SAP R/3 in 1992.

1993: Palo Alto Lab Opened

SAP Labs Palo Alto opened in 1993 as part of SAP's expansion into developed IT markets.

1995: SAP Included in DAX

SAP was included in the German stock index DAX in 1995.

1995: SAP R/3 Updates

Several versions of SAP R/3 were developed and released through 1995.

September 2003: SAP Included in STOXX Europe 50

On September 22, 2003, SAP joined the STOXX Europe 50 index.

2003: Bangalore Lab Opened

SAP opened a lab in Bangalore in 2003 to attract talent.

2004: Launch of SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) 5.0

In 2004, SAP replaced R/3 with SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) 5.0, incorporating architectural changes to facilitate customer transition to a service-oriented architecture.

2005: SAP Officially Becomes SAP AG

Following the 2005 annual general meeting, the company's official name became SAP AG (a public limited company).

2005: SAP Restructures as SAP AG

In 2005, SAP further restructured itself, changing its legal form to SAP AG.

2006: Release of SAP ERP 6.0

SAP ERP 6.0, the latest version at the time, was released in 2006.

2012: SAP's Cloud Acquisitions Begin

Starting in 2012, SAP initiated a series of acquisitions of cloud-based product companies.

May 2014: Shareholders Approve Conversion to SE

During the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 21, 2014, SAP AG announced that shareholders overwhelmingly voted to convert to a Societas Europaea (SE).

July 2014: SAP Restructures as Societas Europaea

In July 2014, SAP finalized its transition to a Societas Europaea (SE), a public company registered under the European Union system. This involved renaming its German subsidiary to SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG.

July 2014: Expected SE Conversion Date

In May 2014, SAP projected that the legal conversion would finalize in July 2014, following entry into the commercial register. The first supervisory board of SAP SE was elected during the annual meeting.

July 2014: SAP Completes Conversion to SE

SAP officially changed its legal structure to Societas Europaea (SE) on July 7, 2014, and renamed its German subsidiary. The conversion incurred costs of approximately €4 million.

2014: Partnership with IBM

SAP and IBM began a partnership to offer cloud-based services in 2014.

May 2015: Panama Bribery Settlement

In May 2015, SAP paid $3.9 million to settle SEC charges related to bribery of Panama government officials.

2015: Partnerships with HPE and Microsoft

SAP formed a partnership with HPE in 2015 to provide secure hybrid cloud services using the SAP platform. Both HPE and IBM supplied infrastructure services for SAP to run its SAP HANA cloud solution. SAP also partnered with Microsoft for data visualization tools and improved mobile applications.

May 2016: Apple Partnership

In May 2016, SAP partnered with Apple to enhance mobile experiences for enterprise customers, including a new SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK for iOS.

2016: Acquisition of Concur Technologies

In 2016, SAP acquired Concur Technologies, a cloud-based travel and expense management software provider, for $8.3 billion, its largest acquisition to date. The acquisition generated mixed reactions from analysts, with some questioning the strategic fit and others deeming it an aggressive move.

2016: New Labs and Expansion

In 2016, SAP established labs in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. The lab in India became SAP's largest outside of Germany.

2016: Global Presence

In 2016, SAP was the world's fourth-largest software company, with operations across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North and South America.

2016: SAP Announces Investment in IoT

SAP revealed plans in 2016 to invest €2 billion by 2020 in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. They also announced the development of SAP IoT, integrating data from connected devices with machine learning and S/4 HANA.

2016: Release of Enhancement Package 8 for SAP ERP 6.0

The most recent update to SAP ERP 6.0, enhancement package 8, was released in 2016.

July 2017: Gupta Family Allegations

In July 2017, SAP was accused of paying a Gupta-linked company R100 million to secure a Transnet deal in South Africa, which SAP denied.

October 2017: Self-Reporting to SEC

In October 2017, SAP self-reported to the SEC for a possible FCPA violation related to the South African bribery allegations.

2017: SAP Becomes Founding Member of EU Cloud Code of Conduct

In 2017, SAP became a founding member of the EU Cloud Code of Conduct. Coupled with the success of SAP HANA and the acquisitions of Concur and Fieldglass, SAP exceeded its revenue projections thanks to the expansion of its cloud business.

2017: Financial Results

In 2017, SAP reported earnings of €4 billion and annual revenue of €23.5 billion, a 6.3% increase.

2018: IP Theft Accusations

In 2018, Teradata accused SAP of IP theft and fraudulent behavior, leading to an ongoing court battle.

January 2019: SAP Announces Job Cuts and Strategic Shift

On January 29, 2019, SAP announced plans to eliminate approximately 4,000 positions as part of a shift toward modern cloud technologies such as blockchain, quantum computing, machine learning, IoT, and artificial intelligence.

February 2019: Bribery Allegations in Kenya and Tanzania

In February 2019, SAP faced allegations of improper conduct related to state contracts in Kenya and Tanzania, involving bribery through a third-party company.

October 2019: Co-CEOs appointed

In October 2019, Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein were appointed co-CEOs of SAP.

2019: Microsoft Partnership

In 2019, SAP and Microsoft announced a three-year partnership called "Embrace" to help clients transition to the cloud. Parts of the partnership were later reduced to two years.

April 2020: Sole CEO appointed

In April 2020, Jennifer Morgan left SAP, leaving Christian Klein as the sole CEO. This was attributed to the need for a clear leadership structure during the COVID-19 recession.

2020: Wipro Partnership

In 2020, SAP partnered with Wipro to co-develop solutions for the retail and fashion industry.

2020: Target Date for IoT Investment

SAP aimed to complete its €2 billion investment in IoT-related technologies by the end of 2020.

April 2021: Formation of SAP Fioneer

On April 13, 2021, SAP announced its joint venture SAP Fioneer with Dediq GmbH, focusing on the Financial Services Industry. Dediq invested over €500 million for an 80% share, while SAP contributed its products, units, and sales network for a 20% share.

May 2021: SAP Lists Cloud Services Adherent to EU Cloud Code of Conduct

In May 2021, SAP listed selected cloud services compliant with the EU Cloud Code of Conduct, becoming one of the first cloud service providers to do so.

2021: Questionable Research Funding

In 2021, Der Spiegel reported on SAP's questionable funding of researchers at the University of Mannheim to investigate competitors' technology, and criticized SAP's governance.

2021: Iran Sanctions Violation

In 2021, SAP was fined $8 million for exporting software to Iran in violation of US sanctions.

May 2022: Harassment Allegations

In May 2022, multiple claims of bullying and sexual harassment emerged within SAP, including allegations of unwanted advances by senior male managers and inadequate HR response.

June 2022: Management Style Criticism

In June 2022, Manager Magazin criticized SAP's leadership style for increasing compliance risks.

2022: Employee Representatives Elected

In 2022, 45 employee representatives were elected to the SAP SE Works Council, representing 17,000 employees in Germany.

December 2023: SAP's Market Position

As of December 2023, SAP was recognized as the largest German company by market capitalization, the largest non-American software company by revenue, and the world's third-largest publicly traded software company by revenue.

December 2023: Market Capitalization

As of December 2023, SAP's market capitalization was valued at US$180 billion, with shares trading at over US$154, making it the largest German company by market cap.