Company Description
SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) is a global enterprise software company in the information sector, classified among software publishers. Founded in Germany in 1972, SAP has grown into a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, positioning itself at the intersection of business and technology. For more than 50 years, organizations have used SAP software to coordinate and optimize business‑critical operations across areas such as finance, procurement, human resources, supply chain, and customer experience.
Core business focus
SAP develops and delivers enterprise application software that helps organizations run and integrate their key processes. According to company materials, SAP is known as the world’s largest provider of enterprise application software and a leader in enterprise resource planning (ERP). Its portfolio includes ERP and related applications, as well as software for areas such as supply chain management, procurement, travel and expense management, and customer relationship management. SAP’s offerings are designed to unite business‑critical operations and support customers’ digital transformation.
Cloud, AI, and data strategy
SAP emphasizes cloud‑based delivery of its applications and business platforms. Company disclosures describe a Cloud ERP Suite that encompasses strategic Software‑as‑a‑Service (SaaS) and Platform‑as‑a‑Service (PaaS) solutions tightly integrated with core ERP. These offerings include SAP Cloud ERP and SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), as well as cloud‑based capabilities for financial and spend management, supply chain management, human capital management, commerce, business transformation management, and AI.
Alongside application software, SAP highlights business AI and data as central to its strategy. SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Business AI are presented as ways for customers to build an AI‑ready data foundation and embed AI into business processes. Partnerships with technology companies such as Snowflake, Cohere, Mistral AI, OpenAI, Databricks, Google Cloud, and AWS are described as extending SAP’s data and AI ecosystem, enabling customers to work with semantically rich SAP data products and to develop AI‑powered applications.
Global reach and customer base
According to background information, SAP operates in more than 180 countries and serves more than 400,000 customers. A large share of these customers are described as small to medium‑size enterprises, indicating that SAP’s software is used by organizations of many sizes, from large global enterprises to mid‑market companies. SAP’s recent quarterly statement lists customers across multiple industries and regions adopting cloud ERP journeys such as “RISE with SAP” and “GROW with SAP,” as well as implementations of SAP S/4HANA Cloud and other SAP solutions.
Enterprise cloud and sovereignty offerings
SAP has articulated a broad approach to cloud computing and digital sovereignty, particularly in Europe. The company offers SAP Cloud Infrastructure as its Infrastructure‑as‑a‑Service (IaaS) platform, developed with open‑source technologies and operated within SAP’s data center network. SAP describes SAP Sovereign Cloud as a portfolio designed to meet regulatory and sovereignty requirements for public sector and highly regulated industries, with deployment options that include:
- SAP Cloud Infrastructure (in Europe), where data is stored within the EU to support European data protection regulations.
- SAP Sovereign Cloud On‑Site, an SAP‑operated infrastructure within a customer‑owned or customer‑selected data center, intended to provide high levels of data, operational, technical, and legal sovereignty while maintaining SAP cloud innovation and architecture.
- Delos Cloud in Germany, a secure and sovereign cloud solution aimed at the public sector and country‑specific sovereignty requirements.
In addition, SAP has announced plans to make SAP Sovereign Cloud capabilities available on the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, and has introduced EU AI Cloud as a framework for a sovereign AI and cloud offering designed for Europe. These initiatives are presented as part of SAP’s long‑term investment in European digital resilience and sovereignty.
Business AI and Joule
SAP describes its AI portfolio as integrated into its applications and platforms. The company highlights Joule, characterized as a network of role‑aware assistants and agents embedded in SAP Business Suite. According to SAP, assistants in Joule draw on applications and data across SAP Business Suite to help users in specific business roles, coordinating specialized Joule Agents to execute complex workflows in functions such as finance, supply chain, and human resources.
SAP has also introduced an enterprise relational foundation model, SAP‑RPT‑1 (Relational Pre‑trained Transformer), which it describes as an AI model designed to predict business outcomes in scenarios such as delivery delays, payment risk, or sales order completion. These capabilities are positioned as part of SAP’s effort to bring AI “from insight to action” inside enterprise processes.
Data platforms and ecosystem
Data is presented as a core element of SAP’s value proposition. SAP Business Data Cloud is described as a solution that connects to data and AI platforms used by developers and enterprises, enabling the creation of data products that support analytics, AI, and application development. Features such as a data product studio and an expanded SAP HANA Cloud knowledge graph engine are intended to help map relationships across SAP data models and reveal how data fits together.
SAP’s collaborations with Snowflake, Databricks, Google Cloud, and others are framed around zero‑copy, bidirectional data sharing between SAP Business Data Cloud and partner platforms. This is intended to allow customers to work with semantically rich SAP data products in real time while maintaining governance and business context.
Industry partnerships and use cases
SAP frequently announces partnerships that illustrate how its software and AI capabilities are applied in specific industries. For example, a partnership with Syngenta focuses on embedding AI into Syngenta’s enterprise to modernize operations across manufacturing, supply chain, and grower‑facing products and services. SAP presents this as an example of how cloud ERP, SAP Business Data Cloud, and SAP Business AI can support AI‑assisted decision‑making and operational resilience in agriculture.
Other collaborations, such as those with France’s AI ecosystem (including Bleu, Capgemini, and Mistral AI), AWS, and Snowflake, are described as supporting digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, and AI‑driven transformation for European public sector organizations and regulated industries.
Financial reporting and regulatory profile
SAP SE is a foreign private issuer that files reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Form 20‑F. The company submits current reports on Form 6‑K to furnish quarterly statements and half‑year reports that it files with Deutsche Börse AG. These reports include both IFRS and non‑IFRS financial measures. SAP states that non‑IFRS measures are provided in addition to, and not as substitutes for, IFRS measures such as revenue, operating income, and cash flows, and refers readers to its explanations of non‑IFRS measures.
Recent Form 6‑K filings have attached quarterly statements and half‑year reports, indicating ongoing public reporting of financial performance, cloud revenue, operating profit, and cash flow metrics. SAP also notes that certain statements in these documents may be forward‑looking rather than historical facts.
Scale and market position
Background information describes SAP as the world’s largest provider of enterprise application software and a leader in ERP. The company operates globally, with customers in more than 180 countries and a customer base that includes a substantial number of small and medium‑size enterprises. Its software is used to manage core business processes and to support cloud‑based, AI‑enhanced digital transformation initiatives across many industries.
FAQs about SAP SE
- What does SAP SE do?
SAP SE develops and sells enterprise application software and related cloud and AI platforms. Its products help organizations manage business‑critical operations in areas such as finance, procurement, human resources, supply chain, and customer experience. - In which industry and sector is SAP classified?
SAP is classified in the software publishers industry within the information sector. - How does SAP describe its cloud ERP offerings?
SAP refers to a Cloud ERP Suite that includes strategic SaaS and PaaS solutions tightly integrated with core ERP. This suite covers SAP Cloud ERP, SAP Business Technology Platform, and cloud‑based capabilities for financial and spend management, supply chain management, human capital management, commerce, business transformation management, and AI. - What is SAP Business Data Cloud?
SAP Business Data Cloud is described as a solution that connects SAP data with data and AI platforms, enabling organizations to create data products for analytics, AI, and application development. It supports zero‑copy data sharing and integration with partner platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, and Google Cloud. - What is SAP Sovereign Cloud?
SAP Sovereign Cloud is a portfolio of cloud solutions designed to meet sovereignty and regulatory requirements, especially in Europe. It offers deployment models on SAP Cloud Infrastructure in Europe, SAP Sovereign Cloud On‑Site in customer‑owned or selected data centers, and Delos Cloud in Germany for public sector needs. - How is SAP involved in AI?
SAP presents itself as a provider of business AI integrated into its applications and platforms. It offers SAP Business AI, the Joule network of assistants and agents, and an enterprise relational foundation model (SAP‑RPT‑1) aimed at predicting business outcomes in areas such as delivery delays and payment risk. - What is Joule in the SAP context?
Joule is described as an AI layer within SAP Business Suite, consisting of role‑aware assistants and specialized agents. These assistants use SAP data and applications to help users in specific roles coordinate tasks and workflows across functions like finance, supply chain, and HR. - How does SAP address European digital sovereignty?
SAP has introduced EU AI Cloud and expanded SAP Sovereign Cloud to support European data residency, sovereignty, and regulatory compliance. It collaborates with partners such as Bleu, Delos Cloud, Capgemini, Mistral AI, and AWS to provide sovereign cloud and AI solutions for European enterprises and public sector organizations. - What types of organizations use SAP software?
SAP reports that it serves more than 400,000 customers in over 180 countries, with approximately 80% of these customers characterized as small to medium‑size enterprises. Its solutions are also used by large global enterprises and public sector entities across many industries. - How does SAP report its financial results to U.S. investors?
As a foreign issuer, SAP files an annual report on Form 20‑F and current reports on Form 6‑K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Recent 6‑K filings have furnished quarterly statements and half‑year reports that include IFRS and non‑IFRS financial measures.