Munich, Germany-based Softlab will pay an undisclosed sum for axentiv, which specializes in providing technical and management consulting around SAP technology to manufacturing and retail sectors. Darmstadt-based axentiv has 147 staff and made revenue of 21m euros ($26m) in 2003.
ComputerWire has tracked 10 acquisitions in the first half of 2004 in which the target company has had strong SAP services capabilities. Many small and mid-size SAP services vendors have struggled financially in recent years as demand for new implementations dried up.
Paris, France-based Capgemini claims that it is the largest SAP services company in the Nordic region following its acquisition of the IT subsidiary of engineering company ABB in May, taking its total of SAP experts in the region to 250.
India’s fifth largest exporter of software and services Cognizant Technology Solutions acquired offshore SAP services firm Ygyan Consulting Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed sum in February, and CRM consultant Inforte Corp built up its skills in SAP tools following the acquisition of business intelligence consultant Compendit Inc in March.
Two other major SAP services acquisitions were thwarted in the first half. In June 2004, SAP failed in an attempt to acquire 100% of SAP Systems Integration AG after shareholders of the services company turned down the vendor’s offer. In the same month, UK services vendor Microgen Plc also made a failed bid for publicly listed SAP consulting firm Diagonal Plc.
