SAP’s ANZ division has recorded the business software maker’s strongest revenue growth of 2008, insulating it against coming lay-offs.

Strong growth in retail, public sector utilities – and, in Australia, mining - saw SAP ANZ record overall revenue growth year on year of 33% in constant currency (24% growth calculated in Euro).

By country, overall revenue grew 36% in Australia and 22% in New Zealand. Software Licence revenue grew 79% year on year in Australia and 20% in New Zealand.

“It’s no secret the economy was sluggish for most of 2008, even before the global financial crisis hit in September. The New Zealand economy was already in recession by the second half of the year,” says Tim Ebbeck, managing director SAP ANZ. “In this environment, cash is king and process efficiency is the next best thing to growth for delivering profitability.”

Mr Ebbeck says SAP recorded four of its biggest ever deals during the year.

Yesterday, German-based SAP – the world’s third largest software company after Microsoft and Oracle – reported an 8% rise in profit and 13% rise in revenue for its latest quarter.

Yet the company also said it was battening down for tougher times ahead, and announced it would cut 3000 staff worldwide. SAP has yet to detail where the cuts will come, but if the top performers are the least likely to be culled, its ANZ staff are better positioned than most.

"SAP is working through the implications of the global headcount reductions for ANZ. They’ve [ANZ] had a very successful 2008, so they’ve done what they can to ensure any impact from the global slowdown is minimised," a rep for the company tells NBR.