SAP CEO says has not had any takeover approaches

VIENNA, May 14 (Reuters) - Software maker SAP (SAPG.DE) has not received any recent takeover approaches from private equity firms or anyone else, Chief Executive Henning Kagermann told journalists at the start of SAP's Sapphire industry event.

"No," Kagermann replied when asked at the start of this week's event in Vienna whether SAP had been approached because of its currently low share price. A spokesman said Kagermann was referring to the last few months.

Kagermann added he believed growth in the software sector was poised to take off as new methods of interweaving software coincided with firms looking at business processes that cross sectors rather than being focused on their own industry.

"I believe this can kick off larger growth rates," Kagermann said. "We believe we are seeing a similar wave to what we saw at the beginning of the 90s."

The German company's deputy CEO, Leo Apotheker, said SAP's new Web-delivered software for smaller companies, codenamed A1S, had not been delayed and would be launched in the first quarter of 2008.

"We are very confident we will launch the product as always planned in Q1 2008," Apotheker said.