SAP Ships Newest Version of mySAP Customer Relationship Management To Customers Worldwide on Time as Promised

Business Wire, Sept 11, 2001

Business Editors and Technology Writers

WALLDORF, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 2001

SAP Adds Dedicated Sales Teams, Bolsters CRM

Organization for Global CRM Success

SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) today announced that it began shipping the newest version of mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM) to customers worldwide on Aug. 31, 2001.

SAP is now shipping a CRM solution previewed in July at SAPPHIRE(R) '01 Orlando that gives companies the ability to seamlessly connect and align people, processes and knowledge throughout their entire value network around their customers for greater gains. In addition, SAP announced plans to add 200 dedicated sales people and 500 consultants to its global CRM organization to meet market demand for mySAP CRM.

In a July 6, 2001, report ("SAP Renews Commitment to CRM"), Sharon Ward, vice president at the Hurwitz Group, wrote, "Coupled with the integrated analytic capability, SAP is bringing out a package of breathtaking scope." Ward's report concludes, "We may just be seeing the birth of a new leader in CRM."

Recognizing the clear business benefits of the breadth and depth of functionality within mySAP CRM, the following companies, among many others, will be adopting the latest mySAP CRM solution: Carl Zeiss (United States), CreoScitex (Canada), De Agostini (Italy), MetroGas (Chile), Plansee (Austria), Sony of Canada Ltd. (Canada), Spengler (Switzerland), Swarovski (Switzerland) and Yodobashi (Japan).

Open, Integrated CRM Solutions

mySAP CRM provides unparalleled breadth of functionality through a full suite of CRM functions. In addition, mySAP CRM can also serve as a platform to openly integrate with either SAP(R) or non-SAP business applications such as supply chain management, product lifecycle management and human lifecycle management for flexibility that meets each business's unique needs.

"While other CRM providers are reducing staff and discounting their prices to gain customers, we are poised for success in the CRM market. Companies want to do business with proven, financially stable software suppliers," said Carol Burch, senior vice president of Global CRM at SAP AG. "Companies continue to come to SAP to benefit from our industry know-how and years of experience at providing dependable software solutions. With our focused organization, customers can rest assured that SAP can deliver the service and support they need for a successful project."

Complete Customer Interaction Functionality in a Global CRM

Solution

Currently available in more than 20 languages ranging from Mandarin Chinese to Greek and Thai, mySAP CRM provides an unmatched global perspective, enabling leading companies around the world to better meet their unique customer requirements. The new version of mySAP CRM also includes more than 100 "out of the box" business processes with best-in-class operational, collaborative and analytical CRM capabilities to facilitate effective implementations.

mySAP CRM provides functional breadth and depth to enable global corporations to better serve their customers' needs through integrated business processes in key customer interaction areas including marketing, analytics, field sales, tele-sales, key account management, channel management, field service, customer service, e-selling, Internet self-service, Internet sales and the interaction center.

In addition, SAP has further extended the integration of the logistics and work-force management functions in mySAP CRM to provide enhanced closed-loop service processes. This new functionality empowers service personnel by providing them with all the information they need to provide the right service to the right customer at the right time. The SAP focus on preintegrated business processes also helps reduce the total cost of ownership of the mySAP CRM solution because there is no need for interfacing systems -- a feature that differentiates mySAP CRM from other CRM solutions on the market.

Expanded Sales and Support Effort

SAP is providing additional support for CRM customers and prospects by dramatically increasing staffing levels in sales, sales support, consulting and services support organizations. SAP is working with leading consulting organizations such as Accenture, Deloitte Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers to develop strategic partner relationships designed to meet consumer demand, improve the effectiveness of CRM implementations and increase the adoption of CRM best practices. Deloitte Consulting has had several recent mySAP CRM wins and currently has approximately 150 consultants trained in CRM. The company also has committed to progressively train up to 1,000 consultants on a global basis to match market penetration.

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of e-business software solutions. Through the mySAP.com(R) e-business platform, people in businesses around the globe are improving relationships with customers and partners, streamlining operations, and achieving significant efficiencies throughout their supply chains. Today, more than 15,000 companies in over 120 countries run more than 36,000 installations of SAP(R) software. With subsidiaries in over 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at http://www.sap.com)