100 percent professional users across the board

Of course, there are existing SAP customers who have 1000 users and 1000 professional users for them.

With a maintenance fee of 22 percent and a list price of 3,200 euros for the Professional User, this ultimately brings the Walldorf company a nice extra income every year. But does it have to be?

In recent years, there have often been deviations from the 15 percent rule: A maximum of 15 percent of all SAP licenses may be Limited Professional Users - this is what the old PKL says.

With fair and skillful negotiation, there was almost always a way around this barrier - there are also special users and other license types. But since the salesman and SAP CEO Bill McDermott reigns alone in Walldorf, a different wind has been blowing there.

Sales are everything. SAP's existing customers notice this not only in the death of the limited professional user, but also in the fact that there are fewer and fewer experienced consultants, but even more sales representatives.

In the past, the license salesman was an advisor and helper to the existing customer. Today, he threatens with the numbers from the license measurement and tries to play off old rights against the new GTC. Is SAP being insensitive or impertinent?