Alliance Overview

The collaboration between SAP and Microsoft delivers significant value to customers – from SAP applications running on Microsoft Windows and Microsoft SQL Server to comprehensive interoperability between the SAP NetWeaver technology platform and Microsoft .NET. With Duet, the highly anticipated joint development, SAP and Microsoft raise the bar in bringing additional value to customers.

Key Customer Benefits

• Adoption – More than 60% of SAP installations run on Microsoft Windows. Microsoft SQL Server is a solid and low-TCO database option for SAP implementations. SAP and Microsoft work closely to ensure that the latest releases of SAP solutions run on new versions of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft SQL Server. Learn more about. In 2007, SAP and Microsoft announced their focus on upgrades and deployment of SAP ERP on SQL Server. Learn more about SAP ERP upgrades.
• Business Performance Optimization – SAP and Business Objects provide a unique and comprehensive performance optimization applications suite that enables companies to close the loop between strategy and execution to gain business insight, manage risk, and optimize corporate performance. Learn more about these Business Objects solutions: Business Object suite of technologies and Business Objects for .NET developers Registration required.
• Investment – Competence centers in Walldorf, Germany, and Redmond, Washington, are responsible for SAP and Microsoft business and technical engagements.
• Easy to Buy, Easy to Get Support – Customers can obtain the Microsoft SQL Server licenses required for their SAP implementation using a simple and cost-effective licensing model which also includes technical support and upgrades. One contract, one point of contact.

Alliance Focus Areas

• Interoperability – Interoperability of the SAP NetWeaver technology platform and Microsoft .NET is critical to IT architecture decisions. SAP and Microsoft continually work on interoperability between their products and technologies. Both companies are moving towards out-of-the-box interoperability based on Web services and open standards. Learn more about SAP NetWeaver and Microsoft .NET interoperability.
• Microsoft Office Integration – Duet, the first joint product from SAP and Microsoft, gives information workers seamless access to SAP solutions and business processes leveraging SAP enterprise service-oriented architecture. Learn more about Duet software solutions for Microsoft Office and SAP and Extended Road Map for Duet announcement.
• Microsoft Visual Studio Integration – Crystal Reports 2008 delivers a feature-rich designer with improved data visualization and on-report reformatting, enabling the creation of fewer reports and richer presentation layers for .NET applications. Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional and Enterprise Editions include Crystal Reports Basic. Learn more about Crystal Reports.
• Quality – Microsoft runs its internal SAP production systems on prerelease versions of both Microsoft Windows and Microsoft SQL Server as quality criteria for general availability.

Microsoft/SAP References

• Dimension Data
• TÜV NORD

Contact

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
(800) MICROSOFT (642-7676)