SAP Appoints Head of New SME Unit

Keen to carve out a larger chunk of the global market for enterprise applications, German business software vendor SAP has established a new global unit to target small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) and appointed a company veteran to head the assault.

Hans-Peter Klaey was made president of SAP’s Global SME unit, which will oversee the company’s sales, marketing and operations dedicated to SME customers, the Walldorf, Germany, vendor said Monday.

Klaey, who has served as president and chief executive officer of SAP’s Asia-Pacific operations, will report to Leo Apotheker, SAP board member and president of customer solutions and operations.

Small and midsize businesses now account for 65 percent of SAP’s total customer base, the company said.

-John Blau, IDG News Service (Dusseldorf Bureau)