Walldorf, Germany, is a nice town. It's clean, tidy, and pretty. It's got two old churches, one Catholic and one Protestant, and a quaint main street. There's a prosperous, conservative, and slightly smug feel to the city. It's a very German home for SAP AG, which is a very German company. SAP is so important to the city of Walldorf that it's getting its own highway exit, paid for by local taxes―a rare testament to corporate importance. Yet, if you believe the critics, direct highway access is coming too late. SAP, they say, is an ailing dinosaur, headed for a long decline. "SAP is large, cumbersome, and inflexible. It's lethargic. I've met almost no customers of SAP who are particularly happy with SAP as a partner on an ongoing basis," says Craig Conway, president and CEO of rival software house PeopleSoft.
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