Fifty years in the software business is an achievement not to be sneezed at, but the APJ president of German integration software provider Software AG puts it down to very simple reasons: a culture that values partnerships, staff who are loyal to their employer and an environment that encourages people to do their best, even if they occasionally fail en route to that goal.

German integration software provider Software AG has turned 50 today, the largest operation of its kind globally after beginning life as a start-up in 1969, well ahead of much better-known companies such as Apple and Microsoft. The company is also the world's biggest IoT platform provider.