SAP: 48 years

H I S T O R Y O F
S U C C E S S

1972
Foundation

1973
SAP completes its first
financial accounting
system - RF.

1974
SAP demonstrates its
flexibility for the first
time

1975
An SAP trademark
begins to emerge - the
integration of all of the
company's applications.

1976
Continued business
success
 1977
The company begins
installing its system for
customers outside of
Germany for the first
time.

1978
Completes the module
Asset Accounting and a
corresponding
implementation project
at a pilot company.

1979
SAP begins operations
on its own server,
Siemens 7738, for the
first time.

1980
SAP expands its product
portfolio with RV, a
custom development for
sales and distribution.

1981
The growing power of
mainframe servers is
enabling SAP to expand
its customer base to
approximately 200
companies.
 1982
SAP generates DM 24
million in revenue and
reaches the 100-
employee milestone.

1983
A third construction
project is necessary to
create space for the
company's workforce,

1984
SAP (International) AG is
founded in Biel,
Switzerland, as the
starting point for SAP's
efforts in markets
abroad.

1985
A new quality assurance
committee is
established to help
increase the stability of
SAP software.

1986
After three years in
development, SAP's
software for human
resources management
is made available to
customers.
 1987
IBM's new generation
of servers makes SAP's
software available to
midsize customers,
generating between
DM 30 million and DM
200 million.

1988
AP begins developing
RIVA – a billing and
administration system
for utility companies

1989
SAP's data center now
contains servers from
IBM, Siemens, DEC, and
Hewlett-Packard – 
providing a total
memory capacity of
1,224MB.

1990
Research and
development

1991
SAP presents the first
applications in its SAP
R/3 system at CeBIT in
Hanover, where the
response is highly
positive.
 1992
To ready itself for
potential acquisitions
and holdings, SAP adds
another DM 15 million
to its capital stock,
bringing it to a total of
DM 100 million.

1993
The construction of a
development center in
Foster City, California,
gives SAP a presence
near Silicon Valley.

1994
SAP bolsters its efforts
in developing a retail
solution for SAP R/3 by
acquiring a 52% holding
in DACOS Software
GmbH.

1995
The U.S. company
Burger King, Inc.,
becomes the 1,000th
customer to implement
SAP's software for
human resources
management.

1996
SAP goes online
 1997
SAP celebrates its 25
years in existence in
Mannheim. German

1998
On August 3, 1998, the
letters "SAP" appear for
the first time on the
big board at the New
York Stock Exchange

1999
The mySAP.com
revolution

2000
SAP enters the world of
electronic marketplaces
and corporate portals

2001
SAP expands
mySAP.com, making it a
comprehensive
technology for business
applications.
 2002
More birthday cake

2003
Technology enables
SAP to offer fast, open,
and flexible business
applications that
support end-to-end
business processes - 
no matter whether they
are based on systems
from SAP or other
providers. 2004
SAP announces its
intention to acquire the
remaining shares of its
consulting subsidiary
SAP SI and to merge the
company into its
corporate group

2005
The company's software
license revenues
increase by 18%, and it
records particularly high
rates of growth in the
Americas.

2006
"SAP ERP constitutes the
foundation of SAP's
industry solutions and a
springboard to
enterprise SOA,"
 2007
Head start in the
midmarket

2008
SAP proves its
commitment to
sustainable business
practices, releasing its
first Sustainability
Report.

2009
With the effects of the
global financial crisis
having reached the real
economy in 2008, the
business world faces its
own plight.

2010
In May, SAP announces
its plans to purchase the
California company
Sybase for
approximately US$5.8
billion.

2011
SAP announces its plans
for growth: It is looking
to expand in emerging
market economies such
as Brazil, India, Russia,
and especially China
 2012
Investing in China

2013
SAP Business Suite on
SAP HANA

2014
The company’s cloud
transition accelerates,
with SAP becoming the
fastest-growing
enterprise cloud
company at scale and
the largest cloud
company in the world
by measure of users (70
2015 million).

SAP HANA Cloud

Platform for the Internet
of Things

2016
Apple and SAP partner
 2017
SAP partners with
Google

2018
Vision for the
Intelligent Enterprise

2019
SAP doubles down on
cybersecurity in
November, opening its
Cyber Fusion Center
(CFC) at SAP’s North
American headquarters
in Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania, to protect
customers – and their
data – from constantly
evolving cyberthreats.