SAP acquires Contextor SAS to upgrade robotic automation and machine learning capabilities

SAP has announced that it has acquired Contextor SAS to boost the firm’s robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning capability

The enterprise software firm said that the purchase will help it develop and expand the SAP Leonardo Machine Learning portfolio, a “digital innovation system” that allows customers to take advantage of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, advanced analytics and blockchain on top of their business data.

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Based in Orsay, France, Contextor SAS, is a small European company that focused on robotic process and desktop automation.

The firm aims to relieve business software users from performing repetitive tasks.

To date, it has deployed more than 100,000 bots to automate business processes. 

Commenting on the acquisition, Markus Noga, Head of Machine Learning at SAP, said: “With intelligent RPA accelerated by Contextor, businesses will be able to achieve the high automation level necessary to become intelligent enterprises.

He added: “The acquisition is a big step towards orchestrating process automation and will help SAP inject RPA capabilities into our applications, first and foremost into SAP S/4HANA.”

The German enterprise firm said that it expects to integrate intelligent RPA into SAP S/4HANA in the first half of 2019, with other applications to follow.  

Earlier this month, SAP announced that it had acquired Qualtrics, a U.S. company that specialises in tracking consumer sentiment online.