SAP and Microsoft have extended an existing partnership to
provide deeper integration between the Microsoft .net web services
and SAP Netweaver integration and application
platforms.
The companies said they would collaborate to make it easier for
Netweaver users to build applications using Microsoft's Visual
Studio .net tools.
Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect at Microsoft,
said, "Using web services to connect the critical business
information and processes in SAP Netweaver with the power and
productivity of Microsoft .net will give our mutual customers a
competitive edge."
Under the agreement, SAP said it would offer a new version of the
SAP .net Connector tool in August. The new version promises better
support for Microsoft's Visual Basic.net language and tighter
integration with Visual Studio .net.
SAP has also promised to provide sample applications for developers
to implement "smart clients" to access SAP capabilities from
Microsoft Office System applications using Visual Studio 2005.
The aim of a smart client is to provide end-users with a full
graphical user interface (like Windows), which can be managed and
controlled from a server. Microsoft's smart client is being
developed for Longhorn, the next version of the Windows operating
system. Visual Studio .net 2005 provides tools with which users can
build applications with a smart client user interface.
Analyst company Gartner described SAP's adoption of Microsoft
Office System and future Microsoft smart client technology as "more
significant", compared with the other aspects of the collaboration
between the two companies.
However, it noted that SAP's commitment so far has been to offer
sample applications to other developers. "Gartner believes SAP has
made no commitment to deliver applications using this technology,"
the analyst company said.
Gartner also pointed out that SAP has yet to unveil its plans to
deliver Visual Studio versions of its Netweaver tools, even though
it is already working on Java versions for the IBM-driven Eclipse
platform.
Through its collaboration with SAP, Microsoft said it would offer
"repository managers" that integrate SAP Netweaver knowledge
management functionality, Windows Sharepoint Services and Microsoft
Exchange Server. They are expected to be available in early
2005.
l Under another partnership agreement, SAP will join its customer
relationship management and mobile software with Research In
Motion's Blackberry device.
The deal will allow field staff to access and update information
from MySAP CRM on the move. The software, which requires no manual
synchronisation, will give users the ability to view sales orders
and CRM analytics reporting remotely, SAP said.