German software firm SAP celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Irish operation today and announced 150 new jobs .

The new positions will be filled over the next 18 months .The company currently employs 1,800 people across 40 lines of business ranging from research and development to sales and customer support .

SAP has offices in both Dublin and Galway and the company is currently undergoing a process of streamlining its programmes and moving to the cloud .

SAP also announced details of its “SAP Digital Boardroom ” approach today .It aims to simplify ” performance reporting across all areas of business in real time ” for its customers .

Todays announcement was made by out-going Taoiseach Enda Kenny and SAP Managing Director Liam Ryan who said ” these roles will empower a new wave of SAP employees to drive transformational change and create people -centric solutions for businesses worldwide,ensuring Ireland remains a cornerstone of SAPs global operations .