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WSJ: Do you have a target customer in mind moving forward? That is, major enterprise IT projects only? Or the small- and medium- business markets as well? Any particular verticals that you'd like to mention?

Beack: We will continue to focus on Enterprise Customers who run large-scale and mission-critical applications. Our aim is to help these large-scale organizations solve their business problems by providing them with new solutions that have the same high level of performance they have come to expect from us.

Many of our larger customers in government, financial services and higher education are currently investigating how best to implement a Service-Oriented Architecture. Compelled by the promise of a flexible infrastructure built on common interfaces and reusable business services, these organizations are being challenged to modernize and open up existing systems to an SOA.

We believe that we are uniquely positioned to help these organizations reap the benefits of SOA by providing them with a very solid technology foundation, expert skills and knowledge and a single-minded focus to help them succeed.

WSJ: Your background includes work in Africa, your company is headquartered in Germany, but of course is also very active in North America. Do you see key differences in approaching projects in the different regions of the world? Do you see similarities as well?

Beack: I don’t personally see that many differences between the different regions. What I have noticed during my time with Software AG is that we have continued to become smarter in how we approach projects, and also how we disseminate and share information. We have taken great strides in sharing information and best practices amongst the various regions, by creating a “knowledge sharing” culture within Software AG.

Through our global information sharing tools and centers of excellence we are making information accessible to all of the different Software AG regions, thereby reducing instances of “reinventing-the-wheel”. Also, by exchanging best practices across the global regions, we are gaining higher levels of efficiency and risk abatement associated with individual projects.