If you're a regular of the business pages, you'll have read about employee cutbacks, profit warnings and the general down-turn of the entire technology sector.

Our unwavering pattern of success means there are very high levels of confidence driving the business. When asked how we do it, we refer to a combination of understanding, knowledge and passion.

Formed in 1972, SAP quickly established a reputation as a key enterprise resource planning (ERP) provider. However, as business changed with the onset of the Internet, so did we; successfully positioning ourselves as the world's leading provider of business software solutions. Through mySAP™ Business Suite, people in businesses around the globe are improving relationships with customers and partners, streamlining operations, and achieving significant efficiencies throughout their supply chains. Today, more than 19,300 companies in over 120 countries run more than 60,100 installations of SAP® software. With subsidiaries in over 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP."

In actual fact, SAP was integrating processes and enabling electronic collaboration long before it was called e-business. We're building on our foundations to provide collaborative business solutions to all industries and every major market, and we're learning all the time. We believe we have the best solutions for supply chains, improving customer relationships and generally adding to a company's business proposition regardless of size.

We now employ more than 51.800 people in more than 50 countries, around 40% of whom work in product development. We believe this figure tells you more about our passion and beliefs than anything else. The fact that we invest over 898 million euros into research and development every day, means our commitment to advancing technology is truly unmatched.

That's why our pattern of growth is so strong.