News

Microsoft, SAP Talked About Merging

Microsoft confirmed on Monday that the company initiated merger talks late last year with enterprise software vendor SAP AG.

"A few months ago, Microsoft ended these discussions due to the complexity of the potential transaction and subsequent integration. There are no intentions to resume these talks," Microsoft said in a statement.

Microsoft does not normally comment on discussions related to potential mergers and acquisitions. The company made an exception this time to pre-empt a surprise courtroom disclosure in the U.S. Justice Department lawsuit to block Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft.

According to Microsoft, Oracle obtained confidential Microsoft documents relating to the Microsoft-SAP talks in the pretrial discovery process.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.