Wednesday 24th October, 2012

SAP has raised its 2012 software revenue outlook to reflect the acquisition of Ariba which was completed earlier this month.

The world's biggest maker of business software has said today that it sees full-year revenue from software and software-related services growing by between 10.5 and 12.5 percent.

In July, when it was waiting for approval of its $4.3 billion acquisition of Ariba, SAP had said 2012 revenue would rise 10-12 percent.

SAP's co-chief executive Jim Hagemann Snabe told reporters: "Assuming that the macroeconomic environment does not deteriorate we expect to reach the upper end of the range".

SAP, which competes with Oracle and IBM, said it still expected 2012 operating profit to rise to between 5.05 billion euros and 5.25 billion at constant currencies.

"At the time when we announced the Ariba acquisition we thought it was prudent to hedge our position for a weaker euro, however the euro strengthened instead," SAP finance chief Werner Brandt said.

SAP's integrated software systems are sold to many of the world's biggest companies, such as Apple, GE, McDonald's and Pepsi.