SAP Empowers Partners to Better Reach Global Small Businesses

WALLDORF, Germany, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move to further empower its global network of SAP(R) Business One software solution partners, SAP AG today announced that partners that serve small businesses now have access to streamlined global solution partner agreements, enabling them to expand their market reach to SAP's fast-growing customer base of over 15,800 small businesses worldwide. SAP said that new marketing and sales support have been added to its successful SAP(R) PartnerEdge(TM) program, which provides a best-in-class approach for supporting software solution and reselling partners by leveraging a collaborative selling model and a micro-vertical product strategy around SAP Business One.

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Also available to software solution partners are enhanced sales and marketing enablement tools, including increased customer visibility through an online solution catalog, new implementation methodologies and access to the SAP PartnerEdge P2P Network, an online community that allows software solution partners and resellers to collaborate and meet specialized customer needs, while expanding their global business reach. This micro-vertical approach allows SAP and its partners to launch fully integrated solutions that address specific customer requirements. These solutions include not only actual business capabilities, but detailed implementation guidance and support methodologies.

"The new benefits in SAP PartnerEdge help us tremendously by authorizing partners to sell in multiple markets internationally while simultaneously providing a comprehensive toolset for developing and marketing our offerings within new markets," said Mark Loveys, CEO of Enprise Solutions Ltd., a founding SAP Business One partner.

Qualifying for SAP PartnerEdge

The SAP PartnerEdge program includes a qualification process for software solution partners, ensuring they meet rigorous requirements in traditional areas such as development, localization and translation, as well as the provision of adequate sales and product support, before making the solutions available in additional countries. This thorough process ensures that partner solutions smoothly integrate with SAP(R) Business One, contributing to high customer satisfaction.

To reflect the close nature of the partner relationship between SAP and the solution partners for SAP Business One, SAP has changed its partner designation to "software solution partner" from "independent software vendor." In addition, SAP is launching a new designation for qualified micro-vertical solutions: Products carrying the "Enabled by SAP(R) Business One" have passed SAP's micro-vertical solution process and are offered by partners as part of SAP's comprehensive go-to-market strategy. SAP is working with partners such as Acellos (Canada), be.as (Germany), CitiXSys (India), Coresystems (Switzerland), Enprise (New Zealand), SoftBrands (USA), Trimergo (Netherlands) and Xioma (Israel) to provide the first group of such micro-vertical solutions.

"The program provides a strong foundation for co-innovation within our partner network," said Ralf Mehnert-Meland, global director Software Solution Partners, SAP Business One.

About SAP(R) PartnerEdge

Launched in 2006, the SAP PartnerEdge program is SAP's comprehensive business model for enabling partners to succeed in the small and midsize enterprise (SME) marketplace. SAP PartnerEdge provides an innovative and holistic way for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their business competency, technical and sales skills as well as performance in selling SAP solutions. The program provided a set of tiered 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. The program provides partners with comprehensive benefits that increase as they advance to higher levels by way of SAP's unique PartnerEdge Value Points system. (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/partners/categories/channel/partneredge)

About SAP(R) Business One

Designed specifically for small and midsize enterprises, SAP(R) Business One allows business owners to achieve an up-to-date and unified view of their operations, improve business-process efficiency and take advantage of growth opportunities. The software can be deployed rapidly, providing instantaneous access to critical business information through intuitive, easy to use reporting and drill down capabilities. With more than 1,340 business partners, 450 industry- and process-specific scenarios and add-ons, and 40 country versions, SAP Business One is helping more than 15,500 companies worldwide seamlessly link with customers and suppliers using SAP(TM) Business Suite applications. (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/solutions/businessone)

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software*. Today, more than 43,400 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP(R) applications-from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver(R) technology platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP software helps enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at < http://www.sap.com/ >)

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.

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