时事英语－英语新闻导读 2004.3.4

SAP Predicts 10% Software Sales Growth Amid '04 Upturn¹
SAP预测2004年软件销售额增长10%
Tuesday March 2, 2:26 pm ET

(中文大意)德国SAP软件公司3月2日表示，其2004年的销售额正在增长，推动因素主要是企业不仅没有降低成本反而增加了投资，这反映出IT支出的趋势正在见好。首席执行官赫宁-卡吉曼(Henning Kagermann)表示：“公司的运营前景更好了。”

　　作为全球最大的商务软件制造商，SAP预测2004年软件销售额将增长10%，但用户却希望能够“用更低的价格买到更好的产品”，这使得SAP在面市新产品时需要投入更多的精力来促销。

FRANKUFURT -(Dow Jones)- SAP AG's 2004 sales are increasingly driven by companies investing in growth rather than cutting costs, the company said Tuesday, reflecting a shift in IT spending.

"The outlook is better," chief executive Henning Kagermann told analysts² in London Tuesday. The world's largest maker³ of business software predicts a rise in software sales of 10% in 2004, but customers want "more for less," making it difficult for SAP to ask "more for more," when they sell new products.

Germany's SAP, which has 59% market share in business software (when compared to large rivals Oracle⁴ Corp. (NasdaqNM:ORCL - News) PeopleSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM:PSFT - News) and Siebel Systems Inc.), said customers are increasingly asking them "how software can help them grow their business," reflecting an upturn in software spending.

To adapt to the new cost-conscious environment, SAP will continue its shift toward selling many bite-size chunks⁵ of software rather than relying on huge deals for entire suites⁶, SAP Chief Financial Officer Werner Brandt said.

"The biggest challenge is to move the sales force from selling big ticket to selling volume," Brandt said in a presentation to investors⁷.

SAP will hire new sales staff and partner with more software resellers to increase the Walldorf-based software maker's ability to push its BusinessOne software to mid-size companies, SAP said. Mid-size deals have an average size of around EUR130 million in Europe, US$200 million in the U.S., and EUR110 million in Japan, SAP said.

To continue sales growth, SAP has bet on bolt-on software known as NetWeaver, designed to add value to existing software investments. Because it's interoperable with most industry standards, SAP customers can use NetWeaver as well as other databases, applications, operating systems, and hardware platforms from most vendors⁸ including rival Oracle, SAP said.

"Clients no longer want to be locked in by one particular vendor," Kagermann said.

As well as offering standard products to handle back office, accounting⁹, human resources, production, sales and service solutions, SAP has developed specific software for 23 industries, including aerospace¹⁰, automotive, chemicals, consumer products and utilities.

SAP's 2004 prospects¹¹ are good because its product pipeline¹² is much better than last year said Leo Apotheker, President, Global Field Operations, and Member of the Executive Board, SAP AG. "All products will be shipped on the integration¹³ platform SAP NetWeaver," Apotheker said Tuesday.

 

1 upturn   

n.情况好转

参考例句：

• Experts have forecast an upturn in the stock market.专家已预测股票市场价格有上升趋势。
• The economy is experiencing an upturn.经济正在好转。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 oracle   

n.神谕，神谕处，预言

参考例句：

• In times of difficulty,she pray for an oracle to guide her.在困难的时候，她祈祷神谕来指引她。
• It is a kind of oracle that often foretells things most important.它是一种内生性神谕，常常能预言最重要的事情。

5 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

6 suites   

n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓

参考例句：

• First he called upon all the Foreign Ministers in their hotel suites. 他首先到所有外交部长住的旅馆套间去拜访。 来自辞典例句
• All four doors to the two reserved suites were open. 预定的两个套房的四扇门都敞开着。 来自辞典例句

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

10 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

11 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

12 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

13 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。