Introduction:

The Internet is redefining the world of business. These days, customers are at the helm, demanding the best service, lowest prices, and shortest time-to-benefit. Success in this new world is attained by collaborating in multi-enterprise networks that deliver maximum value to each party in a community. These communities must be flexible and open so that they can adapt dynamically to meet changing customer needs without wasting time on point-to-point interfacing. Furthermore e-business, characterised by cooperation in a world of start-ups requires highly specialised resources with new skills and new business models as well as strong alliances and fresh partnership strategies.

With its mySAP.com e-business platform, SAP is on track to meet these requirements. While partners have always played an important part in SAP's approach, strong partnerships are paramount in the context of mySAP.com, as SAP strives to achieve maximum satisfaction among joint customers.

Objectives

SAP Africa has successfully developed its partner ecosystem by ensuring customer satisfaction and creating business opportunities for its partners. Commitment to building a partner network that is vibrant and provides a competitive advantage, and an unparalleled skills and technical network for our customers is the core focus of the Partner Program.

In this context, the main objectives of the SAP Africa Partner Program are to:
· Lead the market via an effective, quality distribution network.
· Provide customers with the best complete solution available, by fully engaging and leveraging quality partnerships.
· Assist in maintaining the role of a trusted advisor with our customers, and the role of the leading e-business solution provider in the marketplace.
· Deliver innovative solutions with the lowest cost of ownership and the highest contribution to business value.
· Establish a new quality of collaboration with partners.
· Accelerate the creation and delivery of mySAP.com through partner offerings.

Under SAP Partner Value Net, SAP and its partners will develop the e-business market based on a new level and quality of collaboration between the companies themselves and among companies and consumers, providing fully comprehensive e-business solutions to customers.

Customers benefit from SAP Partner Value Net in the following ways:
· Easy access to high-quality, proven, complete, and customized e-business solutions.
· Several partner options to ease access and use, e.g., hosted solutions.
· Coordinated/bundled services, technology, software, services, or complete solutions from different vendors.
· SAP Service Marketplace and other local subsidiary websites for quick and easy location of qualified SAP Partners.
The more value a partner can add to fulfil customer requirements, the higher the value of this partner is to SAP. Partners therefore have to combine excellence with top quality, integrity and timeliness. In return, SAP is committed to training, promoting, and supporting its partners to achieve maximum customer satisfaction and to working in collaborative teams with its partners over the entire life cycle of a customer solution.

Partners can benefit from the SAP Partner Value Net in the following ways:
· Grow business and increase revenue through new business models.
· Develop new business opportunities via joint offerings.
· Access a broad customer base.
· Establish specific competencies and earn recommendations from SAP.
· Generate business through a presence in SAP Service Marketplace and other local subsidiary website listings.
· Cooperate with SAP in e-marketing campaigns.

With SAP Partner Value Net, SAP offers the first explicit partner program for the new, New Economy, fully synchronized with SAP's field operation processes (tight integration of partners with the field organization) and opens up SAP's partner portfolio to new types of partners providing content, support, or hosting services. SAP provides first-class partner training, technical integration services, efficient partner management back office, and highly effective sales and marketing initiatives to fully leverage the potential of each partnership.

Partner Categories

The SAP Africa Partner Value Net offers partnership opportunities in four partner categories. Depending on the category, a company can become an SAP Partner on a global or local level, as well as at Alliance level for partnerships of strategic nature. SAP Africa accredits partners only at a local level whilst global partnerships are developed through the Global Partner Value Net team.

Companies can collaborate with SAP Africa in one of the following categories: Service Partners - These partners support SAP customers with consulting services for implementation of SAP products and the integration with existing systems, optimisation of the business processes in operation, and strategic e-business consulting.

Technology Partners - Leading international vendors of technology in the hardware platform, databases, storage systems, networks, and mobile computing areas support development of the technology base of mySAP.com e-business solutions.

Software Partners - Software Partners are companies that provide SAP customers with third party software products and services that add value to their mySAP.com e-business solution. Seamless integration of partner interfaces with SAP software products increases the scope of a customer's mySAP.com solution.

Hosting Partners - Partners in this category provide SAP solutions via a hosted services platform offering the lowest cost of ownership. To achieve this goal and evolve optimal hosting solutions for customers, cooperation with partners is a key success factor for SAP. Customers benefit from this cooperation by being able to get turnkey solutions and services. They can achieve lowest cost of operation and implementation and can profit from standardized service packages. The partner benefits from new business opportunities and a "best-of-breed" hosting platform.

Dimensions of Partner Engagements

SAP offers a graded partner program that allows partners to be rewarded for outstanding contributions to mySAP.com e-business platform. They may contribute by demonstrating excellence in specific industries or horizontal applications, or in their ability to swiftly penetrate the e-business market. In addition, partners that are awarded 'Alliance' status can expect higher commitment from SAP in their collaboration efforts, which will then foster more integrated and more comprehensive solutions and ultimately guarantee maximum customer satisfaction.

To take into account varying customer needs, the geographical focus of partner offerings, and different levels of commitment, SAP Partner ValueNet offers partnerships at the following four levels:
· SAP Global Alliance Partner
· SAP Global Partner
· SAP Alliance Partner (national)
· SAP Partner (national)

The higher the partnership value, the greater SAP's commitment to a truly comprehensive partner relationship. At Alliance level - the highest partnership level offered - both SAP and the partner usually invest considerable resources in the partnership to achieve joint business goals. These resources include executive or board sponsors, Alliance Managers, market development funding, and joint marketing efforts.

SAP differentiates between national and global partners to reflect its account structure - most global SAP accounts have to be supported on a global basis (corporate roll-out programs, for example), whereas local accounts need SAP and partner support at local level.

SAP Africa Partner Value Net Partnerships

Websites

Interested parties benefit from a valuable and comprehensive source of information, which gives them an overview of SAP's partner ecosystem, partner categories, requirements, and benefits.

SAP Global Partner website
SAP Africa Partner website

Contacts

Lorna Cook - Services Alliance Manager
Telephone number: +27-11 235-6269