abas Newsletter November 2010

Erich Sartori is one of the technical godfathers of the abas Business Software. Sartori is an IT specialist through and through: ”If I am able to program something complex which I feel will bring the user an advantage, it‘s a great feeling for me.“ He never had the urge to take over managerial organizational responsibility in the past 30 years. He was always drawn toward the challenge of testing his IT skills on a complex task.

”It is always good to simplify complex problems or program solutions. To repeatedly ask oneself – how can I break this down. This is important for a software which has existed for almost 30 years and whose source codes should remain clear. I am happy about each line that I can delete from the code. This is as important for me as entering new lines“, explains Sartori.

Peter Walser has been the Chief Technology Officer of ABAS Software AG since 2007. His rise to the top at the software provider in Karlsruhe was gradual but continuous. In 1983 the computer scientist got to know the company as a student. The foundation for the upgradeable business software had just been laid when he started working in development after finishing his degree. The objective pragmatist developed alongside the growing ERP software and started to be increasingly responsible for product, coordination and employees. He is proud of the upgradeable abas Business Software, "It is our strength that we control the maintenance phase of our software product. This makes abas Business Software unique on the market," summarizes Walser.

"In the spring of 1983 I wanted to earn some money during the semester break for a trip to Ecuador. I found an advertisement from ABAS at the university, they were looking for student assistants. I went there for an interview and they hired me," remembers Walser. "At that time, studies at the university were overly theoretical. In my day we were still working with punch cards during my basic studies. For me it was a real plus to gain some practical experience. The originally planned semester break, quickly became four years at ABAS. From the very beginning I was able to realize small projects, for example, to program a final payment system or to develop the sales order processing for a timber wholesaler. I realized all steps from definition of the project up to completion. This early contact to customers was a huge professional benefit for me. My projects were quickly getting more sophisticated. After four years I decided to resume my studies and to get my degree."