Here are a few tidbits from the interview to whet your appetite:

• Despite the economic crisis really hitting its stride here in early 2009, SAP isn’t experiencing a massive slowdown…still expecting double digit growth.  Apotheker did dodge around the questions around recent financial results lest he wind up in some sort of regulatory manhunt.
• Apotheker said that companies are continuing to invest in big IT, even in the face of economic calamity because of the feeling that it’s “now or never.”  It’s sort of an innovate or die mentality.
• Apotheker also said that in competition with other ERP vendors, price isn’t the deciding factor.  I thought he almost seemed a little over zealous, to the point of almost  implying it’s not much of a factor at all.  But, that would explain a lot.
• Rose asked if SAP would be a different company 5 years from now.  The answer:  of a necessity.  Business, said Leo, would be fundamentally different 5 years from.  He sees businesses moving to a network model, where companies work together in small or medium networks.  

If this is your cup of lager, then you really should check it out.  You might even get hooked on Charlie Rose too.

Cheers!

Byron