SAP Acquires A2i

SAP AG on Tuesday said it has acquired software maker A2i Inc. to broaden the data management capabilities within SAP's NetWeaver integration platform.

Los Angeles-based A2i develops and markets xCat, the software infrastructure for enterprise-wide product content management and cross-media catalog publishing. The technology has sold well in a wide-range of verticals, including industrial goods, manufacturing, automotive, medical and retail, SAP said.

A2i xCat will become an integrated part of the NetWeaver stack, officials with the German software maker said.

Henning Kagermann, chairman and chief executive of SAP, said the purchase is in line with the company's strategy of acquiring companies primarily for their technology, not to build market share or add customers.

"We are not looking for huge acquisition targets, nor do we want to buy market share or customers; rather we will seek to acquire and integrate those complementary technologies that we do not yet have or cannot develop at comparable cost or speed ourselves,” Kagermann said.

A2i's master data management technology is scheduled for release in the fall as an integrated component of the next version of NetWeaver.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not released.