SINGAPORE--Software maker SAP has brought in agency counsel for a new Asia-Pacific PR assignment, supporting its regional HQ in Singapore.

The company has handed the brief to Fleishman-Hillard, following a competitive pitch that included at least two other firms.

The decision is not thought to affect SAP's existing local market relationships with Burson-Marsteller. The WPP firm currently services SAP in numerous markets worldwide, with total fees from the business believed to be in excess of $5m.

Fleishman was chosen for the Asia-Pacific mandate by SAP communications VP Claudia Cortes, who took on the role last year following the departure of Ian Brown. Cortes, who was previously corporate communications director at SAP America, confirmed the agency appointment to the Holmes Report.

SAP's Asian presence has grown rapidly in recent years, driven in particular by China and Japan, which last year led a 22 percent increase in revenues from software and cloud services. The German company currently employs more than 10,000 people in the region, with 600 based in Singapore alone.