SAP Says Not Considering Acquiring Salesforce

German business software company SAP said on Friday it is not considering acquiring online rival Salesforce.com Inc, after a news report suggested the leaders of the two companies had held talks about strategic alliances last year.

"There is no truth whatsoever to the suggestion SAP is considering or ever did consider acquiring Salesforce.com," said an SAP spokesperson in an e-mailed statement.

Oracle Corp Chief Executive Safra Catz earlier this week said her company could benefit if Microsoft Corp or another rival bought online customer relationship management firm Salesforce.com Inc.

Oracle, Microsoft and Germany's SAP are the most likely candidates for such a big deal, according to analysts, which could top $50 billion and be the biggest software acquisition on record.

Each of the companies have declined to comment, but multiple sources familiar with their thinking have poured cold water on bid speculation.

Catz declined to comment on whether Oracle had made an approach to buy Salesforce.com, following a report on Wednesday that Salesforce.com had hired advisers after receiving an offer from an unnamed suitor.

If Microsoft or another rival did buy Salesforce.com, it might help Oracle in the customer relationship management sector, Catz said.

"It would cause a lot of disruption in that market and so I would view that as something that would be helpful to us especially in the short or medium term, dependent on who it was."

Catz was speaking at a media event at Oracle's headquarter in Silicon Valley on Thursday.

Edited by NDTV staff from original story by Reuters.