SAP basically is the name of the company which stands for Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing. The company SAP AG started its operation in 1972 and became successul in 1980 with thir SAP R/2 solution. In 1992, after the introduction of SAP R/3, SAP AG became the world's leading vendor of standard application software.
SAP R/3 is designed with distinct functional modules covering the typical functions of an organization such as Finance (FI) Controlling (CO), Materials Management (MM), Sales & Distribution (SD), and Production Planning (PP), Human Resources (HR), Plant Mantainence (PM) etc.
Each module handled its own specific business tasks on its own, but is linked to the other modules where applicable. For example, an invoice from the billing transaction of Sales & Distribution (SD) would pass through to Accounting (FI), where it will appear in accounts receivable and cost of goods sold.
SAP typically focused on best practice methodologies for driving its software processes, but more recently expanded into vertical markets. In these situations, SAP produced specialized modules (referred to as IS or Industry Specific) geared toward a particular market segment, such as utilities or retail.
SAP history is of an evolution from a traditional, integrated, and solid ERP software company to one company that can offer a full set of business, integration, and collaboration solutions and services in the open and global business world.
Some Intresting facts of SAP
SAP founded in 1972 by 5 IBM engineers
By 1982, total employee in SAP was 100, Total clients 250 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
SAP R/3 was officially lunched in 1992, total employees strength by the end of year was 3157
In 1994, The IBM corporation implemented SAP R/3 to manage its global business processes, contract is the largest in SAP's 23-year history.
In 1996, Coca-Cola, the world's largest manufacturer of soft drinks, decides to implement SAP R/3
In 1998, SAP expanded 50% increase (6500 new employees) of its current workforce
1n 2003, development location (SAP Lab) was established in china which is 9th place outside of Germany
In 2004, SAP NetWeaver is introduced in the market
In 2010, SAP purchased USA Company Sybase for approxmately USD 5.8 billion.
Currently (Year 2011), SAP has a workforce of more than 54,000 employees spread across the globe
SAP has supplied 183,000 installation in 130 countries
In SAP R/3, the "R" stands for "Real Time Data Processing" and "3" is for "3-tire which is client/server architecture
Here 3-tire means : Presentation Server (SAP GUI), Application Server & Database Server