SAP aims to double CRM business in two years - sales chief

By Nadine Schimroszik and Douglas Busvine

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - SAP SE <SAPG.DE> aims to double the size of its sales and marketing software business within two years, its top salesman told Reuters, throwing down the gauntlet against market leader Salesforce <CRM.N>.

Germany-based SAP, the dominant provider of software that helps companies run back-office functions like finance and supply-chain management, recently announced a major push into so-called customer relationship management (CRM).

By rolling up functions like sales and marketing, commerce, customer service and consumer data protection tools into its new C/4HANA suite, SAP wants not only to grow with the market but also gain share from its competitors.

"We will double our CRM business in the next two years for SAP - there is no question about that," Alex Atzberger, SAP's president, customer experience, said in a telephone interview.

(Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Ludwig Burger)