During the past decade, SAP and Microsoft have partnered to benefit their mutual customers. In fact, Microsoft Windows is the only platform that supports all SAP solutions. And both companies are committed to delivering even tighter integration of their products to enable smooth collaboration across enterprise boundaries.

SAP NetWeaver offers interoperability, openness, and extensibility for Microsoft .NET, the Microsoft development platform. This openness permits a high level of software integration through the use of Web services. It also provides a foundation for effective management of heterogeneous systems.

Interoperability with Microsoft .NET takes place at the people, information, and process levels:

• People – SAP NetWeaver enables you to develop portal content on your preferred platform. SAP and Microsoft are creating a portal development kit for Microsoft .NET. The development kit will make it possible to develop iViews inside Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and integrate them into SAP Enterprise Portal. iViews allow the integration of information and functions from a wide range of sources in an enterprise portal.
• Information – To access and aggregate information consistently, you require a high level of interoperability. That's why SAP and Microsoft are jointly exploring integration scenarios between SAP Knowledge Management and data management tools such as Microsoft Content Management Server.
• Process – Interoperability at the process level minimizes point-to-point connections, centralizes integration knowledge, and orchestrates processes that span technologies. SAP NetWeaver supports an environment in which SAP Exchange Infrastructure and Microsoft BizTalk Server can exchange information.

Application Platform

SAP Web Application Server, a component of SAP NetWeaver, supports platform-independent Web services, Web-based business applications, and application development based on open standards. SAP Web Application Server supports the same Web services standards as Microsoft, including Extensible Markup Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI). For Microsoft .NET, SAP's .NET connector provides a highly scalable and reliable communication infrastructure, as well as a Microsoft Visual Studio .NET AddIn to simplify development.

In addition, SAP has committed to continued cooperation with Microsoft through a joint Collaboration Technology Support Center, a new element of SAP's global partner strategy. This center will help SAP continue to offer a high degree of interoperability – and help you meet your enterprise needs.