Thursday, March 02, 2006
We won't buy market share like Oracle, insists SAP boss
We won't buy market share like Oracle, insists SAP boss: "A clearly pugnacious Apotheker was in no mood to take prisoners. In an apparent dig at Salesforce.com, Apotheker specifically insisted: 'If the question is are we going to buy someone that begins with 'S' and has a big mouth...the answer is no.�
He went on to declare that SAP did not see Oracle as as much of a threat as others appear to. 'I believe China has more potent competitive potential than Oracle,� he insisted. 'If there will be a large sofware company emerging in Asia, it is likely to emerge in China first.
'If you ask me, do I believe there will be a Chinese competitor in a number of years, the answer is yes. Maybe not today, not tomorrow but in five years I can see the emergence of a significant Chinese operator. Any country that can produce that many scientists and engineers has a natural potential of being a significant software producer.'
Intriguingly given the rough reception the announcement of SAP's on demand strategy, Apotheker said there were no plans to change direction. Asked if SAP had any plans to beef up its offerings for so-called 'on demand' software that can be accessed over the Web, he said: 'No.'
He added that SAP was confident of winning more customers away from Oracle this year than last via its 'Safe Passage' program set up to entice them over.By the end of 2005, he said SAP had won 210 Oracle customers. 'I'm confident that in 2006 that number will be significantly higher than in 2005,' he said. "
He went on to declare that SAP did not see Oracle as as much of a threat as others appear to. 'I believe China has more potent competitive potential than Oracle,� he insisted. 'If there will be a large sofware company emerging in Asia, it is likely to emerge in China first.
'If you ask me, do I believe there will be a Chinese competitor in a number of years, the answer is yes. Maybe not today, not tomorrow but in five years I can see the emergence of a significant Chinese operator. Any country that can produce that many scientists and engineers has a natural potential of being a significant software producer.'
Intriguingly given the rough reception the announcement of SAP's on demand strategy, Apotheker said there were no plans to change direction. Asked if SAP had any plans to beef up its offerings for so-called 'on demand' software that can be accessed over the Web, he said: 'No.'
He added that SAP was confident of winning more customers away from Oracle this year than last via its 'Safe Passage' program set up to entice them over.By the end of 2005, he said SAP had won 210 Oracle customers. 'I'm confident that in 2006 that number will be significantly higher than in 2005,' he said. "
