Global Software Leader SAP to Broaden Scope of Offerings in Forecasting and Replenishment for Retail and Wholesaling

SAP intends to offer SAF shareholders an amount of EUR 11.50 per share, which represents a 9.5 percent premium according to the XETRA closing price (EUR 10.50) for the SAF share on July 17, 2009, and a 33.9 percent premium to the volume-weighted average price of the SAF shares in XETRA trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange over the past three months. The offer will be made subject to a minimum acceptance threshold of 50 percent plus one share and the approval of the responsible anti-trust authorities.

Both major SAF shareholders, who together hold approximately 38 percent of the shares in SAF, have agreed to accept the SAP offer.

SAF specializes in the development of ordering and forecasting software for the retail, logistics and industrial sectors. The company employs the innovative conceptual demand chain management approach, which allows the process chain to be controlled and optimized by its central driving force - the customer's buying behavior. SAF's three related core products are software engines: SAF SuperStore and SAF SuperWarehouse, targeted at automated goods replenishment for the retail sector, and SAF SuperForecast that can be used for forecast-based planning across all industries. SAF's groundbreaking software makes it possible to fully automate replenishment processes and ensure their reliability using forecasted future demands. The result is lower inventories, improved product availability, and increased customer satisfaction. By increasing revenues and reducing costs, retailers' competitiveness increases. Founded in 1996 and based in Tägerwilen, Switzerland, the company has approximately 100 employees and subsidiaries in the United States, Slovakia and Germany.

"Since 2002, SAP has relied on our technological expertise and has fully integrated our SAF engine into its SAP Forecasting and Replenishment module within the framework of our OEM partnership," said Dr. Andreas von Beringe, SAF's founder, CEO and president. "In becoming a part of SAP, SAF brings its sustainable forecasting and replenishment expertise to the company. We will tie together our strengths in development and sales and thus help meet the increasing needs of current and future customers." Adds von Beringe, "Our customers will clearly benefit from the combined service and product portfolio as well as from the strong retail expertise and the global reach of SAP as the worldwide market leader in business software."

For SAP, the retail and wholesale industries are an important market with significant growth potential. Companies in these industries increasingly prefer software that offers standardized and integrated business processes from corporate headquarters to the warehouse to the store level. Insightful sales forecasts, greater transparency of stock level and replenishment orders and process automation through forward-looking software solutions are recognized more and more as areas of significant importance in gaining competitive advantage. Nearly 100 customers have licensed SAF technology to date, and have demonstrated that the solution offering has proved of value to their business.

"Through the planned acquisition of SAF, SAP reiterates its strategy to help our customers gain more clarity and transparency across their businesses and drive sustainable efficiency through innovative and reliable software solutions," said Bob Stutz, corporate officer and member of the Executive Council, SAP. "With core components of the SAF software already embedded into the SAP Retail solutions, customers will further benefit from the joined solution and technology portfolio, as well as from the combined innovative strengths."

The specific offer details will be provided in the offer document which is expected to be published shortly at http://www.sap.com/investor.

About SAF SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting AG specializes in the development of automated ordering and forecasting software for retailers and industrial manufacturers. SAF deploys the demand chain management approach, which controls replenishment planning based on consumer demand patterns. SAF software assists users to realize substantial cost savings and optimizes general logistics conditions through its simulation capabilities. As a result, significant competitive advantages are achieved along the entire value chain: lower inventories, improved product availability, and last, but not least, a higher level of customer satisfaction. SAF AG was established in 1996 by Dr. Andreas von Beringe and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Arminger. SAF shares are listed at the official market (Prime Standard) at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FWB). Today, the company employs approx. 100 people. Consolidated sales revenues for fiscal year 2008, were approx. €13.4 million with consolidated profit of €2.1 million according to IFRS statements. SAF's products are distributed in many European countries as well as in the United States. The company is headquartered in Tägerwilen, Switzerland. SAF also has a subsidiary in the United States: SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting U.S.A., Inc., Grapevine, Texas and in Slovakia, Bratislava: SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting Slovakia s.r.o. with the focus on Nearshore-Development.

ENDE Pressemeldung / Pressemitteilung Global Software Leader SAP to Broaden Scope of Offerings in Forecasting and Replenishment for Retail and Wholesaling

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