Enterprise software vendor SAP has shaken off a mediocre 1999, and will reinvent itself as a live eprocurement provider, says local CEO and executive VP Anthony Harris.
Harris attributed diminished sales and a dropping share price last year to customer fears induced by Y2K -- "the greatest furphy of all time" -- and analyst predictions in early 1999 that internet commerce will bring the kiss of death to enterprise resource planning vendors such as SAP.
Harris said his company's focus will shift toward the development of its mySAP.com ecommerce offerings. By bundling business-to-business eprocurement and interface software with integration and installation costs, SAP will attempt to reshape its market positioning as an internet commerce application suite provider.
The mySAP.com package will contain supply chain management, customer relationship management, ERP and business intelligence applications, Harris said.
The company's new image will be accompanied by a change of name, from SAP to mySAP.com, as well as a global advertising campaign worth more than $US30 million, Harris said.
SAP today announced partnerships with two internet-based suppliers: Corporate Express, an office products and hardware direct sales company, and Blackwoods, an engineering tools and materials supplier. Both companies will use the mySAP.com suite to manage B2B transactions.
