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SAP Embraces Business Objects Partners and Demonstrates Benefits of Expanded Partner Ecosystem

Award-Winning SAP® PartnerEdge™ Program Now Available to both SAP Software Solution and Service Partners and Business Objects Technology and Service Partners New Business Objects Certification Program Now Available

/noticias.info/ ORLANDO, Fla. - May 05, 2008 - Further delivering on its commitment to provide new opportunities for co-innovation across the ecosystem and advance the integration of Business Objects, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced that it is delivering new benefits to its diverse partner communities – including Business Objects partners – and has launched the first certification program for partners that are developing solutions that integrate with Business Objects solutions. Available immediately, the award-winning SAP® PartnerEdge™ program, previously available only to SAP channel partners, is now being rolled out to all SAP software solution partners and service partners, including technology and service partners from Business Objects. In addition, partners of Business Objects can benefit from a new program that certifies solutions from Business Objects technology partners have been tested and optimally integrate with Business Objects solutions. This certification is based on a proven SAP methodology and will provide an added level of assurance to customers that tested, third-party solutions and Business Objects work together. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE® 2008, SAP’s international customer conference, being held May 4-7 in Orlando, Florida.

Benefits of SAP PartnerEdge Program Delivered to Partners Across Combined SAP and Business Objects Ecosystem
SAP PartnerEdge, introduced to SAP channel partners in May 2005, now includes additional programs designed to provide services partners and software solution partners with a more structured framework for their engagement with SAP, along with a robust set of offerings and resources focused on accelerating both their business and customer deployments. The integration of SAP and Business Objects continues at a rapid pace and today’s announcement newly extends these opportunities to Business Objects partners. Continuing to bring Business Objects partners into the SAP ecosystem, now Business Objects service partners (such as systems integrators and consultants) and Business Objects technology partners (defined as software and hardware companies with complementary technology to Business Objects) are invited to join SAP PartnerEdge.

Partners that participated in the SAP PartnerEdge pilot have reported excellent initial results. Paymetric Inc., an award-winning SAP partner and provider of innovative solutions that manage, protect and integrate payment card transactions in SAP systems, is a certified SAP developer and took part in the recent pilot program.

“The expanded SAP PartnerEdge program has already had a meaningful impact on our business,” said George Grenrood, director of Strategic Alliances, Paymetric. “Greater access and visibility into SAP resources has yielded several new opportunities to collaborate with SAP to serve our mutual customers and support our go-to-market initiatives.”

Latin America-based services partner Polics-Politec has also experienced immediate business benefits as a participant in the SAP PartnerEdge pilot.

“SAP PartnerEdge is extremely efficient,” said Alexander Schmitz-Kohlitz, managing director, Polics-Politec Consulting Services. “By making this program available for service partners, SAP is reaffirming its commitment to transparency and business agility.”

First Certification Program for Business Objects Partner Solutions Now Available
Building on the proven SAP certification methodology, SAP now offers a program to certify that solutions developed by Business Objects partners integrate seamlessly with Business Objects solutions. APOS Systems Inc. participated in the pilot and successfully completed certification. One of Business Objects’ top-performing technology partners, APOS was named “Business Objects Technology Partner of the Year” in January 2008. APOS has created 15 add-on solutions that extend the capabilities of BusinessObjects™ XI, the leading business intelligence platform, of which one has now been tested and certified.

“APOS has supported the Business Objects platform for more than 12 years and receiving the ‘SAP Certified – Integration with Business Objects’ logo is important to us,” said Dan Clements, President, APOS. “We foresee many benefits to participating in the SAP PartnerEdge program for software solution partners. For example, the expanded program will help us gain entry into new, untapped markets, better connect with customers and provide the right solutions for their business-integration challenges. This is a great step forward.”

“Extending SAP PartnerEdge and introducing a Business Objects certification program are important milestones as we continue to invest in further enabling our partners for success,” said Zia Yusuf, executive vice president, Global Ecosystem and Partner Group, SAP AG. “SAP is forging one of the industry’s strongest and most vibrant ecosystems, and today’s announcement underscores our commitment to drive co-innovation and deliver solutions – together with our partners – which ultimately help customers optimize business performance.”

SAPPHIRE® 2008 Orlando and SAPPHIRE® 2008 Berlin
More than 15,000 customers, partners and technical experts are convening at SAPPHIRE 2008 to discover how SAP and its thriving partner ecosystem are delivering IT solutions that create value beyond the four walls of the enterprise, to create “business beyond boundaries.” SAP’s premier educational and networking event, SAPPHIRE is the one occasion where senior executives, business managers, and decision-makers can come together every year to explore how innovative business solutions foster long-term, profitable growth. SAPPHIRE® 2008 is being held in Orlando, Florida, May 4-7, and in Berlin, Germany, May 19-21, 2008. For more information, please visit www.sap.com/sapphire.

Based on the success of last year’s events, SAP and the Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2008 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 4-7.

Note to Editors:
Webcasts, announcements, media roundtables, keynote presentations and podcasts from SAPPHIRE 2008 will be available in the event’s virtual newsroom at http://www.sapsapphire.com/usa2008/newsroom/index.htm. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit www.sap-tv.com. From this newly launched site, you also can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV. No registration is required. To preview and request broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape, log on to www.thenewsmarket.com/sap, where registration and video is free to the media.

About SAP® PartnerEdge™
Launched in 2005, the SAP PartnerEdge program is a flexible partner management framework that empowers SAP partners and supports their business to provide solutions and services that customers need to become best-run businesses. SAP PartnerEdge makes it easy for partners of various types and sizes to do profitable business with SAP, delivering world-class benefits and resources that enable partners to provide superior value and expertise to customers. SAP PartnerEdge provides an innovative and holistic way for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their business, technical and sales skills as well as performance in selling SAP solutions. The program provides a set of benefits designed to help drive partners’ business including education, business enablement, technology, development and support, marketing and selling, and events and ongoing communications and enablement tools. (Additional information at www.partnerwithsap.com)

About SAP
SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 47,800 customers (excludes customers from the acquisition of Business Objects) in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol “SAP.” (For more information, visit www.sap.com)

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

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