“When SAP AG, Walldorf, Germany, the world’s largest ERP vendor,
moved to support Linux, competitors and observers wondered if this
was merely a vanity project or the first salvo in a bigger war with
Microsoft Corp., heretofore a huge ally of SAP.
SAP’s investment in Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based Red Hat
Software Inc.’s version of Linux came with the promise SAP would
deliver Linux versions of R/3 applications in the third quarter.
SAP did not disclose the size of its investment, but it was ‘in the
seven-figure range,’ said Howard Lau, executive vice president of
the SAP Venture Fund.”
“With the exception of Oracle Corp., Redwood Shores, Calif.,
which revealed limited Linux applications support last fall, other
top ERP vendors are staying away.”