SAP AG and the Open Applications Group Announce BAPI Compliance With Open Applications Group Specifications

Business Wire, August 25, 1997

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1997--SAP AG and the Open Applications Group Inc., a nonprofit industry consortium comprising the world's leading enterprise applications companies, today announced they have agreed to collaborate even more closely to accelerate the specification and adoption of enterprise application integration standards.

Underlining its commitment to supporting open application standards, SAP -- a founding member of the Open Applications Group -- has committed to partnering with TSI International Software Ltd. to make all relevant business APIs (BAPIs) compliant with the Open Applications Group Integration Specification (OAGIS).

That means all relevant BAPIs, prioritized by customer needs, will also be provided as OAGIS business object documents (BODs).

The Open Applications Group recognizes and endorses the SAP BAPI initiative as an important development in interoperability. SAP will submit relevant BAPI specifications to the group's member submission process, and the group will consider the submissions for inclusion in its specifications.

The Open Applications Group has always welcomed specific input from all of its members, and the input from the SAP BAPIs are a part of this ongoing activity.

"As a founding member of the Open Applications Group, SAP is committed to open application interoperability," said Prof. Dr. H.C. Hasso Plattner, spokesman of the SAP executive board. "With this new initiative, companies will have even greater capability to integrate SAP applications with their environment."

"We are delighted to see that SAP will make all relevant BAPIs compliant with OAGIS," said Paul Margolis, chairman of the Open Applications Group. "SAP has always been a strong contributor to the Open Applications Group specification process and a leader in developing open application interfaces.

"With our expanded collaboration, SAP and the group have an opportunity to leverage our resources to help customers do a better job of integrating their enterprise applications."

SAP will leverage its existing partnership with TSI Software to provide compliance with Open Applications Group specifications. TSI Software plans to use its Mercator(R) for R/3(TM) software to create a mapper for the OAGIS BODs and the BAPIs.

TSI Software is a partner in the SAP Complementary Software Program, and the company's Mercator for R/3 was the first application link enabling (ALE) translator certified by SAP. To date, Mercator for R/3 has been successfully utilized at over 50 SAP customer sites to reduce the time and cost of building R/3 interfaces with legacy and third-party applications.

"Mercator for R/3 is a sophisticated, proven product that leverages the SAP Business Framework(TM) strategy, so partnering with TSI Software is a way for SAP to create additional value for its customers and to deliver BAPIs compliant with Open Applications Group specifications," said Hartmut Schaper, program director of Business Framework at SAP.

About the Open Applications Group

The Open Applications Group Inc. is the leading enterprise application software vendor industry association in the world. The group's mission is to promote the interoperability of enterprise applications through the development of integration specifications and promoting the development and implementation of software in compliance with the specifications.

OAGIS Release 5, the Open Applications Group's most recent specification, provides robust functionality for the most-needed ERP integration functions, including core financial, human resources, manufacturing and logistics applications.

The corporate membership of the OAG is made up of many of the world's largest enterprise application vendors, including American Software Inc., CGI Systems Inc., CODA Inc., Computer Associates International Inc., IBM Manufacturing Solutions, J.D. Edwards & Co., Marcam Corp., NEC C&C Systems Group, Oracle Corp., PeopleSoft Inc., QAD Inc., SAP AG, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, Texas Instruments Inc. and TSW International Inc.

The OAG headquarters is at 401 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, USA. For further information on the OAG or membership inquiries, contact the OAG at 312/527-6799, or via e-mail at oag@sba.com . The OAG's Web site address is http://www.oag.org/ .

About TSI International Software

TSI International Software Ltd. is a leading provider of software for business application integration the seamless connection of computer applications. TSI Software's flagship product, Mercator, is an important component of an array of business application integration solutions.

These include transformation of electronic commerce data to and from applications, integration of Web applications with back-office systems, and integration of enterprise applications, such as R/3, with legacy and third-party applications.

TSI Software's products are in productive use worldwide by companies integrating their internal applications or conducting business electronically. TSI Software is headquartered in Wilton, Conn., and is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "TSFW." More information on TSI Software can be found on the Internet at http://www.tsisoft.com/ .