SAP fills its POS gap with acquisition of Triversity

Filling a hole in its enterprise software for retailers, SAP AG acquired Toronto-based Triversity Inc. this week to add a POS component to its web-based retail software suite. The move puts pressure on other retail technology vendors to also expand their offerings, analysts say.

“Retail technology vendors without a POS system will have to find one,” says Paula Rosenblum, director of retail research for Aberdeen Group Inc. “This merger and acquisition activity is not slowing down.”

Triversity brings SAP POS software, store analytics and other technologies that complement its suite of enterprise software that retailers use for managing finances, human resources and supply chains. Germany-based SAP said Triversity’s software will complement its portfolio of retail software built on its web-architected NetWeaver platform.

“The Triversity deal gives SAP a strong store technology product for various size retailers across segments, surmounting the breadth Oracle acquired with Retek’s POS,” said Scott Langdoc, an analyst with AMR Research Inc.

“The acquisition of Triversity falls right in line with our strategy of acquiring companies to enhance product functionality and extend our leading position within key industry verticals,” said Bill McDermott, president and CEO of Philadelphia-based SAP America Inc. “We can better serve our customers with an end-to-end retail offering, connecting data from initial consumer interactions at the point of sale, through the retail supply chain, to the enterprise back office.”

Langdoc adds that Triversity gives SAP “a much broader level of capability in store analytics and execution, including loss prevention, labor analytics, store audit, inventory management, and gift cards payment technologies.”