SAP and Business Objects Unveil First Joint Offerings

Business Wire, Jan 16, 2008

Kick-Off Go to Market Activities with First Combined Product Packages; Customers Gain Solutions for Business Insight, Performance Management, and Compliance

WALLDORF, Germany or PARIS or San Jose, Calif. -- As a first indication of the successful pace of integration of the two companies, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and Business Objects S.A. (NASDAQ: BOBJ) (Euronext Paris: ISIN code FR0004026250 - BOB) today revealed nine joint product packages, available this month, that will be sold by both organizations' global sales teams. These packages were chosen to address the most common challenges facing business users from the C-suite to Main Street, which include: gaining better business insight, improving company performance and ensuring compliance with corporate governance policies. These packages will allow companies to license, install, and manage solutions from SAP and Business Objects in a single IT investment transaction.

The companies detail these new product packages in conjunction with today's announcement acknowledging the next steps in SAP's successful acquisition of Business Objects (see press release entitled "SAP and Business Objects Unite to Lead Emerging Market for Business Performance Optimization.") With a broad showing of support from shareholders and business partners, SAP and Business Objects now embark on a road map to expand their wide lead in the market of software for business users into leadership in the emerging market for business performance optimization.

"Our initial combined software packages enable new customers to experience the business value gained by the thousands of customers that are successfully running applications from the SAP and Business Objects solution portfolios," said Leo Apotheker, deputy CEO and president of Customer Solutions and Operations, SAP. "These initial offerings underline the already strong synergies in both our product and sales organizations, and foreshadow how quickly we will bring our two companies together. We fully intend to build upon these offerings and provide our customers with the innovative, market-leading solutions they've come to expect from SAP and Business Objects. United by a shared vision to transform the way the world works by connecting people, information and businesses, this is the first demonstration of how we will protect and expand our customers' IT investments, while helping them to further optimize business performance."

Software Packages from SAP and Business Objects Deliver Immediate Benefits to Customers of All Sizes

The nine new software "packages" combine solutions from SAP and Business Objects in groupings designed to help customers hone in and address particular business challenges. For example, the new Financial Performance Management (FPM) package will give business executives the tools they need to help ensure that day-to-day execution maps to the company's overall business strategy and goals. The FPM package will also empower business users to help their company performance excel. The initial packages fall into three categories: performance optimization applications, business intelligence platform capabilities and packages specifically for the small and midsize market.

Performance optimization applications provide business users with the industry's most complete solutions for improving corporate performance and ensuring accountability. In addition, the applications empower employees across the organization with the tools and insight to proactively contribute to their organizations' success. The initial two packages for performance optimization are described below.

* Financial Performance Management (FPM) package - Provides an end-to-end suite of applications which CFOs and other business leaders rely on to increase their companies' financial performance and operational efficiency. This package helps business users to align everyday execution with their company's overall business strategy by providing user-friendly planning, budgeting, consolidation, and profitability analysis solutions.

* Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) package - Gives executives and line of business employees the tools and solutions to mitigate risks and confirm compliance with corporate governance policy. GRC solutions provide operational transparency and evidence that business is conducted within ethical standards and regulatory mandates.

The SAP and Business Objects business intelligence platform gives customers a scalable infrastructure that delivers accurate, timely and actionable insight. The business intelligence platform also provides access to data of any type and is agnostic to the underlying business applications and data stores. Packages within the business intelligence platform include:

* Visualization and Reporting package - Enhances visibility into business by simplifying access to any data sources for all users with interactive, easy-to-use reports and dashboards. Enables employees to create and distribute visually stunning reports from within Microsoft Office.