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SAP and IDS Scheer to Unite Process Management and Business Software Strategic Co-Development Relationship Will Integrate ARIS Process Platform with SAP NetWeaver(TM) Platform, Creating Comprehensive Business Process Management Solution to Better Align Technology with Business Processes WALLDORF and SAARBRUECKEN, Germany, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG , the world's leading provider of business software solutions, and IDS Scheer AG, leading provider of tools and methods for process management, today announced that the two companies have entered an agreement to create a comprehensive solution for business process management (BPM). IDS Scheer's ARIS Process Platform will be integrated into SAP NetWeaver(TM), the open integration and application platform, to provide customers with a comprehensive BPM solution -- and thus with a completely integrated process platform. For the first time, SAP customers will have the ability to connect the modeling and optimization of business processes with the physical configuration and execution of these processes. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/SFM002LOGO ) SAP and IDS Scheer will leverage the strengths of their technology solutions to cover the entire business-process life cycle -- from design and configuration, to implementation and execution, to controlling of overall processes. With the new relationship, SAP is pursuing a clear strategy: a comprehensive solution that -- from the very onset of software development -- uses modeling components to create a direct relationship between the model and the executing software. Thus, an integrated approach to BPM is supported, creating a closed loop from business-process analysis and modeling, through process configuration and execution, and on into controlling. This closed-loop is prerequisite to enabling continuous improvements in companies' business processes. "As the market-leading provider of standard business software solutions enabling integrated business processes for our customers, we see business process management as an integral part of software solutions," said Peter Zencke, executive board member, SAP. "The benefit of this integration for our customers is clear -- a company can change the model for its processes quickly and is provided with the software implementation methods at once. This quickens our customers' response to changes and differentiates us considerably from pure technology providers." As a part of SAP NetWeaver, the BPM solution offers a modeling environment with a uniform data model and repository, covering all business process- and technology-related modeling information. The modeling environment offers various views to support processes, for example, in SAP(R) Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI), unified modeling language (UML) diagrams and SAP solution maps. "Process management and standard software have traditionally been separate worlds," said Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer, chairman of the supervisory board, IDS Scheer. "These two worlds grow together with the integration of the ARIS Process Platform in SAP NetWeaver, so that the focus is on customers' business processes, and not software technology." "With this relationship, ARIS methods and tools will become standard in the SAP NetWeaver platform," said Wolfram Jost, member of the executive board, IDS Scheer AG. "This signifies great market potential for IDS Scheer within SAP's global footprint." The integrated BPM solution in SAP NetWeaver includes four components. The first component provides for the free visual modeling of processes, the second for the configuration of these processes. The third component handles process execution, with monitoring and alert functions as well as event management. The fourth component, process controlling, focuses on the analysis and visualization of statistical key data, enabling the customer to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes executed with the help of SAP software. The integration of IDS Scheer's ARIS Process Platform in SAP NetWeaver enables -- for the first time -- the ability to connect the modeling and optimization of business processes with technological process configuration and execution. About SAP NetWeaver(TM) SAP NetWeaver(TM) is a comprehensive integration and application platform that helps reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by facilitating the integration and alignment of people, information and business processes across organizational and technological boundaries. It is designed to be completely open and interoperate with other platforms, such as Microsoft .NET and IBM WebSphere. SAP NetWeaver is the technical foundation for mySAP Business Suite and SAP xApps packaged composite applications and ensures maximum reliability, security, and scalability to enable mission-critical business processes for today's adaptive businesses. About SAP SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions. Through mySAP(TM) Business Suite, people in businesses around the globe are improving relationships with customers and partners, streamlining operations, and achieving significant efficiencies throughout their supply chains. The unique core processes of various industries, from Aerospace to Utilities, are supported effectively by SAP's 23 industry solution portfolios. Today, more than 20,500 customers in over 120 countries run more than 67,500 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/ >) About IDS Scheer IDS Scheer (Saarbrucken) develops corporate solutions for business process management. With its ARIS product family, the company offers a complete portfolio for developing, implementing, operating and evaluating business processes. IDS Scheer is thus a provider of both process and IT solutions. IDS Scheer's consultants support businesses in creating a process organization and implementing modern application concepts such as e-Business, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management and Enterprise Application Integration. Following its acquisition of Groupe Expert and the regional companies Plaut CEE and Plaut North America in mid-2003, IDS Scheer is also able to offer IT & Hosting Services and expands its focus on medium-sized enterprises. As a part of the ARIS Process Platform, ARIS Toolset is the number one selling process modeling tool in the world, and is used by 90 percent of DAX 30 companies. IDS Scheer was founded in 1984 by Prof. August-Wilhelm Scheer and now serves with over 2,000 employees about 4,000 customers in over 50 countries. In 2002, the company earned revenues of over 181 million Euro. In Germany, IDS Scheer is among the top 15 IT service providers and in Central and Eastern Europe, it is recognized as a market leader. IDS Scheer is listed in the TecDAX on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, thus ranking among the 110 leading companies traded on the stock exchange, also known as DAX110. 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 Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2002 filed with the SEC on March 21, 2003. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. NOTE: SAP, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Hilmar Schepp, + 49 (62) 277-46799, , CET Jason Loesche, +1 (610) 661 8541, , EST SAP Press Office, +1 (610) 661-3200, , EST Gabriele Thoering, Burson-Marsteller, +49 (69) 2380939, , CET Jody Andersen, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (415) 591-4101, , PST http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/SFM002LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: SAP AG CONTACT: Hilmar Schepp, + 49 (62) 277-46799, or , CET, or Jason Loesche, +1-610-661 8541, or , EST, or SAP Press Office, +1-610-661-3200, or , EST, all of SAP; or Gabriele Thoering, +49 (69) 2380939, or , CET, or Jody Andersen, +1-415-591-4101, or , PST, both of Burson-Marsteller, for SAP Web site: http://www.sap.com/

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