Leading High Tech Companies Choose SAP for CRM; Cutting-Edge Companies Leverage mySAP CRM and Vertical Industry Functionality For Integrated E-Business Strategies

Business Wire, Jan 16, 2002

Business Editors & Technology Writers

WALLDORF, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2002

SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) today announced continued momentum for mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM) among companies seeking to leverage SAP's global understanding of business, proven industry-specific solutions and CRM functionality for the high tech industry.

High tech companies are adopting mySAP CRM to integrate customer-centric strategies across their entire business, global supply chains and partner networks. They include Acterna, Brother International Corporation, CreoScitex, Infineon Technologies AG, Molex, Inc., Siemens Brazil, Symbol Technologies, Inc., Welch Allyn, Inc., and Westell Technologies, Inc.

Sales forces of high tech companies can take advantage of the industry-specific features in mySAP CRM to generate more leads, manage incoming opportunities more effectively, sell more products and services quickly and efficiently, and maintain a better understanding of their pipeline. As a result, they can manage their forecasts more accurately, thereby achieving greater efficiencies and optimal customer relationship management.

Molex is the world's second-largest manufacturer of electronic, electrical and fiber-optic interconnection products and systems. It is using the field sales and opportunity management functionality of mySAP CRM to enable its business strategy. "SAP has long understood the value of an integrated business and has wisely stuck to its vision throughout the evolution of its products," said Martin Slark, chief operating officer at Molex. "We chose mySAP CRM to drive our strategy of integrating CRM into our key business processes, which, acting together, ultimately enable us to retain and better serve our customers."

In the high tech industry, where manufacturers often attract, engage and sell to their customers through distributor and reseller channels, it is essential to effectively manage and support channel partners with accurate, up-to-date pricing, contract, availability and status information, while ensuring secure access for the channel partners to complete information about solutions available to influence customer purchases. Whether interaction with a customer takes place through an interaction center, through a portal via the Internet or with a salesperson, mySAP CRM enables this vital information to be visible across the entire enterprise, as well as across multiple sales channels including both internal and external business partners.

"High tech companies around the world are embracing mySAP CRM as a key element of their integrated business strategy, demonstrating SAP's extensive understanding of the high tech industry and its specific needs," said Carol Burch, senior vice president of global CRM business development at SAP AG. "mySAP CRM combines a world-class CRM solution with industry-specific e-business functionality, enabling companies to gain complete visibility into their customers and business partners."

mySAP CRM Supports Industry-Specific Business Processes

mySAP CRM is tailored to meet the specific needs of key industry segments, including semiconductor manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), value-added distributors and resellers, contract manufacturers, and software providers. Industry-specific business processes that are supported include channel management for manufacturers, distributors and resellers, opportunity management for semiconductor manufacturers, Internet-based configuration and pricing for OEMs, and installed-base reporting and marketing for software vendors and OEMs.

Detailed information about mySAP CRM deployments at specific high tech companies can be found on the mySAP High Tech Customer List at http://www.sap.com/company/publications/pr/crmhtcustomers.asp. A listing of the key capabilities of mySAP CRM for the high tech industry can be found at http://www.sap.com/company/publications/pr/crmhtkeycapabilities.asp.> 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 17,000 companies in over 120 countries run more than 44,500 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)

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe," "estimate," "intend," "may," "will," "expect" and "project" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the SAP Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2000 filed with the SEC on March 28, 2001. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.