SAP and Siemens Financial Services Expand Partnership to Meet Growing Demand for Affordable, Flexible IT Financing Tools
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Strong Initial Success Leads to Program Expansion Into Five Additional Countries
HANOVER, Germany, March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Building upon a long tradition of offering value-added services to their customers, SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) and Siemens Financial Services GmbH (SFS) today announced the expansion of their financing partnership for SAP® solutions into five new markets: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden. SAP Financing services offer a range of affordable financing options for companies and public sector organizations of all sizes who are investing in IT solutions as part of their growth strategies. The announcement was made at the CeBIT 2006 trade fair, being held in Hanover, Germany, March 9-15.
Marketed through "SAP Financing" and operated by SFS, the financing offerings for SAP solutions are now offered in a total of 18 markets, with availability expected in a total of 41 countries by mid-2006. The rapid expansion plans are in response to strong market demand at the outset of the offering: After 150 days on the market, customers in 13 countries have requested financing with a total volume of 67 million euros. By expanding the offering to further markets, SAP and Siemens Financial Services aim to meet an increasing global demand for IT: According to a current survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit(1), more than two-thirds of executives of small and midsize businesses in Europe, Asia Pacific and the United States singled out IT as central to their growth strategies.
Launched in October 2005, SAP Financing services are tailored to meet the specific cash-flow requirements of customers choosing SAP solutions (see press release titled "SAP and Siemens Financial Services Make Financing SAP® Solutions Easier and More Affordable," at: www.sap.com/Company/Press/Press.epx?PressID=5052 ). These services conveniently cover all costs of SAP and partner software on the SAP price list as well as hardware, internal and external services and maintenance during project installation for SAP solutions. Offered through all SAP sales channels, including value-added resellers, independent software partners and implementation partners, SAP Financing offers businesses and public sector organizations of any size an affordable IT road map to help spur business growth.
Germany-based Raiffeisen Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main eG (RWZ), an agricultural production tools and organic goods supplier, is now leveraging a preliminary financing phase of 12 months for its implementation of mySAP(TM) Business Suite.
"There are a lot of factors to weigh in making any purchase decision and all too often the financing process gets bogged down in red tape or takes a back seat to running the day-to-day business," said Manfred Schorn, head of the Finance service unit, RWZ. "SAP and Siemens Financial Services created a sound financial plan, fast and free of hassle, and a customized implementation concept, addressing both our budgetary and business needs with a viable solution."
"Tailor-made financing packages facilitate technology investments for all sizes of companies," said Joachim Diers, international program manager, SAP Financing, Siemens Financial Services. "By using SAP Financing to spread the costs over time, existing credit lines can be preserved and cash flow improved. As the total costs of the IT solution can be predicted and planned up to seven years, companies gain a competitive edge."
"Our partnership with SFS has yielded tremendous early results," said Thomas Baur, head of SAP Financing, SAP AG. "In only five months since its inception, we've seen a growing demand for our offering with SFS because it provides existing and prospective SAP customers of all sizes with simple, affordable and all-inclusive financing options. We look forward to collaborating with SFS to accelerate the reach of our partnership into five new markets."
(1) Thinking big: Midsize companies and the challenges of growth is available free of charge from the Economist Intelligence Unit's Executive Briefing website ( www.eiu.com/ThinkingBig ).
SAP at CeBIT 2006
SAP's main booth at CeBIT is in hall 4, stands D12/D28; SAP's booth for public sector organizations is in hall 9, booth E37.
Siemens Financial Services at CeBIT 2006
Partner stand with SAP is in hall 4, stand D12, booths 61/62
Siemens Finance & Leasing: hall 1, roof floor Trelement 1337/1234
Main stand of Siemens Communications and Siemens Business Services:hall 26, stand A31, booth 42
Main stand of Fujitsu Siemens Computers: hall 1, stand G51
Planet Reseller, stand EP:Partner/ComTeam: hall 25, stand D40
About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions*. Today, more than 32,000 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP® software -- from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize enterprises to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver® platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP business solutions help enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP industry solutions support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, healthcare, retail, public sector and financial services. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at www.sap.com/ .)
(*) SAP defines business software solutions as comprising enterprise resource planning and related software solutions such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.
About Siemens Financial Services
With some 1,700 employees and an international network of financial companies coordinated by Siemens Financial Services GmbH, Munich, the Siemens Financial Services (SFS) Group offers a broad range of financial solutions. This covers activities from sales and investment financing to treasury services, fund management and insurance brokerage. SFS' key customers are above all internationally active industrial and services companies, as well as public-sector operators. SFS supervises 21 leasing companies plus a range of partner companies worldwide. Further information under: http://www.siemens.com/sfs.
NOTE: SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.
For more information, press only:
Angelika Pfahler, SAP, +49 (6227) 7-63596, angelika.pfahler@sap.com, CET
SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1-610-661-3200, EST,
press@sap.com
Konstanze Tauber, Siemens Financial Services, +49 89 636-31565,
konstanze.tauber@siemens.com, CET
Source: SAP AG
CONTACT: CET, Angelika Pfahler, +49 (6227) 7-63596, or
angelika.pfahler@sap.com, SAP Press Office, CET, +49 (6227) 7-46315, or EST,
+1-610-661-3200, or press@sap.com, both of SAP; or CET, Konstanze Tauber of
Siemens Financial Services, +49 89 636-31565, or konstanze.tauber@siemens.com
Web site: http://www.siemens.com/sfs
Web site: www.sap.com/
