SAP Buys Sybase

Walldorf, Germany-headquartered SAP AG has announced that its subsidiary, SAP America Inc has acquired Dublin, California-headquartered Sybase Inc. Post acquisition, Sybase will continue to function as a standalone unit under the name “Sybase, an SAP Company”. The acquisition has cost SAP America USD 5.8 billion. Part of the funding is being managed through a loan arranged and underwritten by two banks – Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2010.

The management team of Sybase has not been changed. The Chairman and CEO of Sybase, Mr. John Chen, will be given a seat at the Executive Board of SAP.

By owning Sybase, SAP hopes to leverage its expertise in mobile platforms. SAP plans to use Sybase’s mobile technology to connect all applications and data – both SAP as well as non-SAP – and put them on the mobile devices. Sybase has in place 4 billion mobile subscribers who are using its technology with the help of 850+ operators spread around the world. The USD 5.8 billion gives SAP the capability to reach out to these 4 billion mobile subscribers on a platter.

Read more about a strategic initiative taken by the German behemoth to increase market penetration, here.

SAP Ports Its Software To Mobile Devices Riding On Sybase Platform

Walldorf, Germany-based SAP AG has announced a partnership with Dublin, California-based Sybase Inc wherein the former company will port its SAP Business Suite software to mobile devices such as iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and the like, using the mobile enterprise application platform developed by the latter.

The implication of the move is that business users, customers of SAP, will no longer be restricted to their workstations for carrying out their businesses, but can access their work while being mobile. Per the press release, the module that has got immediate attention is the SAP customer relationship management module (CRM), which when ported on the mobile platform will enable sales professionals to tap into the latest, up-to-the-minute data on the customer they are interacting / about-to-interact with, making the quality of interaction more fruitful and productive.

While SAP has entered into this technology partnership with Sybase on the one hand, T-Systems, a large systems integrator player in Europe has tied up with Sybase to carry out the implementation. T-Systems also happens to be a leading SAP outsourcer in Europe.

Read more about the latest business move by SAP to penetrate newer markets and reach customers through different media, here.

SAP Moves All Software Modules To Single NetWeaver Platform In Business Suite 7

Walldorf, Germany-based SAP AG has announced the launch of the latest version, version 7, of its Business Suite software package at a news conference in New York recently.

The SAP Business Suite is a family of applications for automating individual business processes and generating business-intelligence reports. The suite currently supports the following functions of business: Finance, Human resources, IT management, Manufacturing, Marketing, Procurement, Product development, Sales, Service and Supply chain management. Some features of the suite include transactional information and management reports through standard interfaces, mobile devices and desktop applications; seamless integration of auto-ID technologies such as RFID, 2D bar code, sensors, etc; and also integration of installed modules to provide end-to-end solution (such as integrating supplier-data of raw-material-inventory with production, and production with customer-pending-deliveries, if all the three modules are installed).

The new version of SAP’s software, according to the press release, delivers more than 150 functional innovations through enhancement packages and a synchronized release schedule for all applications across the entire suite. All applications are now being moved to a single, NetWeaver platform, which will likely integrate the company’s own software development processes.

Read more about the latest software upgrade by SAP, here.

SAP And HP Offer Packaged Solution To Midsized Companies

In an instance of software and hardware coming from two different vendors to make one single package, here is one package that promises to provide an optimized solution with more bang for the buck. SAP’s “Business-All-In-One” software requires the underlying hardware to have certain features and be set to one specific configuration. HP has come out with hardware that is tailored for this particular software. So the prospective customer gets a solution that is pre-tested, pre-configured and pre-installed, and gets one single consolidated bill for the purchase that includes implementation and maintenance from the local offices of the two vendors, globally.

The “Business-All-In-One” software in itself includes the following modules: ERP (financials, HR, operations, a module called “corporate services”), CRM (marketing, sales, service), Business Analytics, a module called “SAP Best Practices”, and SAP’s NetWeaver technology platform.

The product runs on SAP’s MaxDBTM database and SUSE Linux Enterprise OS from Novell. The entire suite of software is now offered by the SAP-HP turnkey solution that runs on HP’s BladeSystem c3000. This enclosure version is available in rack and tower designs that support up to 8 storage and server blades.

Midsized businesses with between three and hundred servers in the organization, requiring simple power connections such as connecting to a UPS or wall outlets, will find the solution especially useful.

Read more about the joint offer from the two companies, here.

Sun Commits To Long-Term Java Support For SAP Customers

Santa Clara, California-based Sun Microsystems Inc has made a long-term commitment of 15 years to support a version of Java – Java SE for Business – for all customers using the SAP NetWeaver technology platform.

Java SE for Business version is used for business-critical Java SE applications. Usually, a product has an expiry tag after which the vendor withdraws all support. Sun has, with its multi-year agreement with SAP, instilled confidence in the minds of SAP customers, thus ensuring longevity and loyalty amongst SAP clientele.

SAP NetWeaver is a service-oriented application and integration platform and provides the development and runtime environment for SAP applications, and it is also used for custom development and integration with other applications and systems. The product has been built with industry de facto standards. It is to the credit of SAP’s strategy that system integrators and ISVs are building applications that are “Powered by SAP NetWeaver”. By committing to a long-term support, Sun seeks to leverage SAP’s popularity for Java SE.

The following versions will now work without a hitch using Java SE on Windows and Linux: NetWeaver 2004 and NetWeaver 7.0. According to the company release, Java SE support is scheduled for early support for Windows 2008. This clears the way for an earlier certification of SAP’s NetWeaver versions on Windows 2008, too.

Read more about Sun’s commitment to SAP’s NetWeaver, here.

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