known the sap
WELCOME TO SAPFANS FROM START-UP SOFTWARE VENDOR TO GLOBAL MARKET LEADER Over the course of three decades, SAP has evolved from a small, regional enterprise into a world-class international company. Today, SAP is the global market leader in collaborative, inter-enterprise business solutions. The company now employs more than 39,300 people, whose commitment and innovative spirit pace our future success. The 1970s: A Real-Time Vision In 1972, five former IBM employees — Dietmar Hopp, Hans-Werner Hector, Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira, and Claus Wellenreuther — launch a company called Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing in Mannheim, Germany. Their vision: to develop standard application software for real-time business processing. 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.” “R