Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : SAP A.G. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Edwarda who wrote (2711)	10/24/1998 6:33:00 PM
From: treetopflier	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3424

<Long term, this is one hell of a company.> Yup. One big, ugly apps company with an overbearing, inflexible product infrastructure that will make it nearly impossible to tightly integrate a front office apps suite. Further mired in a now documented set of BAPIs so broad that they are locked into supporting this mess forever. Good luck with R/4 guys. SAP is a black hole. Just like Cullinet, Dun and Bradstreet and McCormack and Dodge before it. They were going to be around forever too, remember? How many of the world's largest firms haven't already selected an primary apps vendor from the list? (ORCL, PSFT, BAANF, SAP - no JDEC, you don't belong here) There aren't 500 large, multinational firms left out there to go chase. And as Edwarda so accurately points out, they won't be buying between now and Y2K even if they are in the market for new apps. But they may be looking at replacing them with something more web friendly after Y2K. Message 5432309 I used to believe that SAP would see a resurgence after the millennial dust settles, but knowing their inflexible architecture and the premium that buyers in 2000 will place on supply chain, front office, e commerce, web interfaces and decision support tools I can see SAP losing lots of deals that they might have won in 1996-7 the next time they come round. And they will come around again after 2000. An all encompassing, tightly integrated solution is great, while it lasts. Then the buyer's vision moves on and you are left with just that, a tightly integrated solution that fits yesterday's needs. SAP's glory days are over. For good. Plattner, you lost the yacht race, and now you get to lose the apps race post-millennium too. Enjoy the strong ECU! Just more fuel for the fire. Your fate is the same as BAANF's. It will just take you longer to get there. ttf