The largest software manufacturer in Germany and the world
Everyone is talking about digitization. It's not just the technology behind it. The largest software manufacturers have at least an equally large share in the development. We present the most successful company in Germany in this area and reveal who has the edge in this business worldwide.
The largest software manufacturer in Germany: SAP
SAP SE is the largest software manufacturer not only in Germany, but even across Europe.
- On April 1, 1972, five former IBM employees founded a new company. The software house "SAP System Analysis and Program Development" is created. The founders at that time were Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther and Hans-Werner Hector.
- The current CEO Bill McDermott has been managing the company since May 21, 2014. SAP's headquarters are located in Walldorf in Baden-Württemberg.
- SAP employs 87, 800 people internationally in over 130 countries. The annual turnover in 2016 was 22.06 billion euros.
- The success of SAP is based on very sophisticated software for handling all processes within a company. The palette ranges from bookkeeping to purchasing to administration of human resources. Controlling, storage and sales can also be recorded and processed with the software. So an all-round solution for large corporations.
That's why SAP uses thousands of iPads.
World leader: top dog Microsoft
Microsoft is clearly ahead in the software sector worldwide:
- In 1975, Bill Gates founded Microsoft - the world's largest software company. The current CEO has been Satya Nadella since February 2014.
- Microsoft has 114, 074 employees worldwide (as of June 30, 2016). The company is based in Redmond, USA. Microsoft also has 119 subsidiaries worldwide.
- Annual sales in fiscal 2017 (June 2016 to June 2017) were $ 89.95 billion. For comparison: BMW had sales of around 94 billion euros (approx. 110 billion US dollars) in 2016.
- Microsoft has not only revolutionized the PC world with its Windows operating system, Microsoft is now also positioning itself on the hardware market: The most recent examples are the Microsoft Surface and the Surfbook.
- Microsoft not only offers a wide range of operating systems and software solutions for private users. It has also developed special programs for companies and, for example, brought out business versions of its office programs.
The most valuable company in the world is another
How valuable a company is is not necessarily measured by sales. The dominant position, innovative products and the potential of a company are also included in the evaluation. That's why Microsoft isn't the most valuable company in the world.
A company needs different software and software solutions than a private individual. Such software is not immediately accessible to everyone. That is why we will explain in the next practical tip what ERP is.