SAP Customers Reach Production in Record Time; Many Customers Able to Reap Benefits of Client/Server Solutions Faster Than Ever.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 1995--SAP AG, the world's leading provider of client/server business applications, today announced that more than 600 customers have now implemented and are productive with the company's R/3 client/server solution. Many of the newest R/3 customers achieved production within six months of the start of the implementation cycle, allowing those companies to leverage the power of SAP's robust, fully-integrated client/server applications faster than ever before.

Additionally, the number of R/3 users has more than doubled in the last 12 months, to a level of over 250,000 worldwide - giving tremendous testimony to the growing presence of SAP in the enterprise applications market.

Prominent SAP customers who have taken advantage of R/3's shorter implementation cycles include IBM Systems Storage Division of San Jose, Calif., municipal airports in Copenhagen and Munich, Mercedes Benz Mexico, Merck Singapore, Zeneca Ridderkerk and Mitsubishi Chemical. While these record implementations typically are not projects that encompass full-scale business process reengineering, the effective support provided by SAP and its business partners has enabled many companies to achieve significant business benefits in a short period of time.

The list of new SAP customers that have enjoyed reduced implementation cycles (and the accompanying reduction in the cost of implementation) spans the breadth of industry and business applications, and reaches all corners of the globe:

SAP America

North American customers who have gone "live" with R/3 installations in six months or less include leading companies such as Autodesk, BMW Manufacturing, Cerdec, Computervision, Convex, James River, Pentax, SAIC, Schwan's Sales Enterprises, Stabilus and Unilever de Puerto Rico. Canada's Nowsco Well services and Mexico's Henkel, PYOSA and Videovisa corporations boasted equally short installation phases.

Two SAP America customers have implemented in record times - less than 4 months from start to finish. The Seattle Times, a major daily newspaper, was fully operational on R/3 in a mere 88 days - two months ahead of schedule. Similarly, Mrs. Baird's Bakery, Inc. went "live" with their R/3 system in just 110 days. Both companies took advantage of a pre-configured R/3 offering that combines the applications with the necessary hardware, database system and dedicated service and support to streamline the implementation process and move the customer to full production as early as possible.

Australia/Africa/Asia

SAP's subsidiaries in Australia, Africa and Asia all boast customers who are recording complete R/3 implementations in six months or less. In Australia, Astra Pharmaceuticals went "live" with the R/3 financials module in five and a half months. In Africa, Namibia Telecom and SASOL Alpha Olefins of South Africa became operational with R/3 in six months.

Customers of SAP Japan have some of the fastest implementations of R/3 in the world. In recent months, Nippon Lever implemented R/3 financials across five subsidiaries, and Mitsubishi Chemical became fully operational with R/3 manufacturing - both with just six months implementation time. Hoechst Japan was able to implement the R/3 financial applications in a rapid three months time.

Europe

These quick results are not limited to large companies. German bicycle parts wholesaler GROFA GmbH, with a workforce of less than 50 people, went live with R/3 financials, materials management, sales & distribution and warehouse management with a mere seven weeks of implementation time. Similarly, Victoria of Portugal implemented R/3 financials on Windows NT in just ten weeks, while Hoerbiger Ventilwerke, an Austrian valve manufacturer, was operational with R/3 Financials and Asset Management in two months, with the R/3 Costing module becoming live one month later.

A list of other European companies enjoying shorter implementation cycles for R/3 applications follows. Austria: STEWAG. Belguim: AIB Vincotte Group. Denmark: Lego Denmark A/S and Metro Denmark A/S. France: Aesculap-ICP, SANDOZ and Seeds/Hilleshg NK. Germany: Deutsche Fahrgesellschaft Ostsee, Drei Pauly, Druckfarbenfabrik Gebr. Schmidt, Energie-und Umwelttechnik GmbH Radebeul, Ferngas Salzgitter, Glser Dudenhofen, HEWI, Hofmann Pfungstadt, Hugendubel, Kessler & Luch, Mittelrheinische Metallgie'erei, MLP, Planmbel Eggersmann, Schltersche Verlagsanstalt und Druckerei, Schck AG, Reinhart Schmidt GmbH, Tetra Pak Filltech, Universa Versicherungen, Wellmann Kchen, Wetzel, Winterbergkliniken Saarbrcken, and Zimmerman Gladenbach. Italy: Boehringer Mannheim Italia and Lever. Netherlands: FGH Bank, Hunter Douglas Europe and Waterlandziekenhuis. Norway: Hydro Energy. Spain: Syntex Latino. Switzerland: Bally (Schweiz) AG, Geberit AG, Gurit-Essex AG, Hero (Schwiez) AG, LHS Leasing, Handels und Service AG, and Providentia Schweizerische Lebensversicherungs-Gesellschaft. United Kingdom: Cadbury Ltd. Czech and Slovak Republics: Chemolak Smolenice, Energovod, Henkel CR, JCP Sturovo, Leciva, MCHZ, PRE, SCP, Ruzomberok and Slovenske Iodenice.

About SAP

SAP provides flexible, integrated client/server and mainframe-based business applications software that is compatible with most popular hardware, software and database platforms. More than 4,300 companies in 41 countries use SAP software to manage complex financial, manufacturing, sales, and human resources requirements. SAP's R/3 client/server suite is installed in 2,900 sites worldwide and is accepted as the standard in key industries such as oil, chemicals, consumer packaged goods, and high technology/electronics. Founded in 1972, SAP AG is headquartered in Walldorf, Germany and employs a workforce of over 5,000 worldwide. SAP America is comprised of its corporate headquarters in Philadelphia, a Technology Development Center in Foster City, Calif., and sales and support offices throughout North America.

CONTACT: SAP America Inc.

Peg Culotta, 610/521-4500

The Weber Group

Cathy Thompson, 415/325-8300