SAP Helps Resellers Grow Faster With New Partner Program Focused on Business Intelligence for Small and Midsize Companies

Press release:

SAP Helps Resellers Grow Faster With New Partner Program Focused on Business Intelligence for Small and Midsize Companies

BEIJING - July 27, 2012 | SAP - Analytics

ACA Pacific and China National Software & Service Co., Ltd are First Distributors to Join New Global SAP® PartnerEdge™ Program for Authorized Resellers

SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced the expansion of the SAP® PartnerEdge™ program to help resellers accelerate profitability with select SAP® BusinessObjects™ business intelligence (BI) solutions, specifically designed for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs). ACA Pacific, a leading Australian distributor of specialist IT solutions, and China National Software & Service Co., Ltd, a Chinese global IT service company with end-to-end service capability, are the first distributors to join the SAP PartnerEdge program for authorized resellers. The announcement was made at China SAPPHIRE, being held July 26-27 in Beijing.

Working with select distribution partners will give SAP access to an even larger base of reselling organizations that can capture the rapid growth in the analytics market. Previously, SAP has focused on selling only SAP® Crystal solutions via the distribution channel. As of today, authorized resellers that are sponsored by an SAP-endorsed local distributor can sell SAP® BusinessObjects™ BI software, Edge edition, as well. The authorized reseller program was launched in the Asia-Pacific region today and will be made available to distributors and resellers on a global basis in a phased approach.

First Distributors to Join Authorized Reseller Program
“As a successful specialist distributor with a reputation for offering best of breed solutions, we are excited to be among the first distributors to join the newly launched SAP PartnerEdge program for authorized resellers,” said HB Tan, director, ACA Pacific. “With more than 23 years of channel experience, we are committed to linking quality products with market needs and to adding value in the form of services and support to both the vendors we represent and the customers we serve.”

“We are proud to be the first distributor to join the SAP PartnerEdge program for authorized resellers in China,” said Xujie, vice president, China National Software & Service Co., Ltd. “This program is in line with our corporate values to create, share and grow our own company as well as the companies with which we work.”

Benefits for Distributors and Authorized Resellers
The SAP PartnerEdge program for authorized resellers will offer new revenue streams to distributor partners through an expanded portfolio. Additionally, they will be able to both offer resellers of BI solutions an entry point into one of SAP’s fastest growing markets as well as be able to expand and further specialize their partner base. Distributors will serve as single points of contact for reselling partners and will be responsible for billing and collecting revenue from authorized resellers.

To join the authorized reseller program, resellers must be sponsored by an SAP-endorsed local distributor partner. They must also meet minimum program entry requirements, which include signing a partnering agreement and fulfilling the product authorization requirements. Resellers that join the program benefit from:

• Reduced entry barriers by gaining membership with no initial or recurring program fees
• Full access to authorized reseller product education at no cost
• Attracting more business and increased profitability with BI solutions priced for SMEs
• Generating revenue with consulting and professional services, receiving certified training on implementing SAP solutions and access to resources to help boost add-on sales and upgrades
• Receiving expert assistance through SAP-endorsed distributor partners
• Gaining access to the SAP® Channel Partner Portal site and online automated tools, including partner-specific resources, marketing tools and collateral to help increase brand awareness and demand generation

“We have identified a surge in demand of smaller organizations for advanced BI solutions as many small companies are moving from reporting to ad-hoc query quicker than before,” said Kevin Gilroy, senior vice president, Global Indirect Channels, SAP. “This represents a huge opportunity for resellers who are the preferred partner for these small businesses. The reach of distributors in the market is very powerful as they touch even more buying centers than we do. By joining forces with ACA and China National Software & Service Co., Ltd., we are once more underlining our commitment to driving our partners’ and customers’ growth through collaboration and innovation.”

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About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 195,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of SuccessFactors) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit 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 “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” 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 ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

© 2012 by SAP AG. All rights reserved.
SAP and the SAP logo are registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company. Sybase and the Sybase logo are registered trademarks of Sybase Inc. Sybase is an SAP company. Crossgate is a registered trademark of Crossgate AG in Germany and other countries. Crossgate is an SAP company.

Cloud Computing Security Benefits Dispel Adoption Barrier for Small to Midsize Businesses

News release:

Cloud Computing Security Benefits Dispel Adoption Barrier for Small to Midsize Businesses

May 14, 2012

Cloud services reduce time and money spent managing security and increase protection against cyberthreats, Microsoft study shows.

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REDMOND, Wash. — May 14, 2012 — Research released today by Microsoft Corp. shows that small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are gaining significant IT security benefits from using the cloud, according to a new Microsoft study in five geographies.

Cloud Security Benefits for SMBs (U.S.)

May 14, 2012

Cloud security is a key topic of discussion for many considering the cloud. Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing group conducted research in the small and midsize businesses (SMB) sector in the U.S.

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The study shows that 35 percent of U.S. companies surveyed have experienced noticeably higher levels of security since moving to the cloud.1 In addition, 32 percent say they spend less time worrying about the threat of cyberattacks. U.S. SMBs using the cloud also spend 32 percent less time each week managing security than companies not using the cloud. They are also five times more likely to have reduced what they spend on managing security as a percentage of overall IT budget.

“There’s a perception that security is a barrier to cloud adoption,” said Adrienne Hall, general manager, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing. “Yet when companies embrace and invest in cloud services, they find the benefits far outweigh previous concerns.”Time and money spent managing security prior to using cloud services is being reinvested by SMBs to grow their businesses and be more competitive. The survey shows the following in the U.S.:

•Of SMBs that use the cloud, 41 percent said they were able to employ more staff in roles that directly benefit sales or business growth, 39 percent invest in more product development or innovation, and 37 percent experienced improved agility and competitiveness.

•More than half of those surveyed (52 percent) said using the cloud enabled them to add new products and services that benefit their business more quickly and securely.

•Of those surveyed, 42 percent said the cloud made it easier for them to scale their business to explore new markets.

“Any solution that helps SMBs’ bottom line has to be good for them and the economy,” said Ryan Brock, vice president of Worldwide SMB Cloud & Channels at Access Markets International Partners. “When it comes to security, the cloud offers SMBs a level of expertise, specialist resources and investment that they cannot hope to match. This translates into cost and time savings and better protection against cyberthreats, which gives them the freedom to innovate and grow their business.”

An example of a company that has realized the security benefits of the cloud is SkyWire Media Inc., a small business in Nevada that helps other businesses personalize and distribute rich content to mobile devices. As a small business, it was a challenge for SkyWire to keep up to date with security management. After transitioning to Windows Intune, a cloud-based management and security solution, the company no longer faces the same problem.

By simplifying software distribution and streamlining the security upgrade process, Windows Intune helped SkyWire save $90,000 (U.S.) in IT costs over a span of six months, a savings of $15,000 (U.S.) per month. By retiring third-party antivirus and antimalware tools, the company was able to redeploy the cost of overseeing these processes.

“Since we started using Windows Intune, support calls are down by 70 percent,” said Thomas Castleberry, chief operating officer, SkyWire. “We can now prevent malware before it interferes with the productivity of our salespeople — and this means they can go out and win new business.”The study, commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by research company comScore Inc., polled companies with between 100 and 250 PCs in the U.S., Singapore, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

¹ For the purpose of this research, cloud users were defined as companies that used a cloud service via a subscription model.