SAP Announces 20 New Reseller Partner Locations to Serve U.S. SMEs

July 19, 2006; 01:07 AM

In a display of the ongoing growth of its partner channel serving small and midsize enterprises (SMEs), SAP America, Inc., a subsidiary of SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) , announced the addition of 20 new reseller partner locations to deliver SAP(R) Business One into new markets across the United States. Combining IT expertise and industry experience with local delivery capabilities, the new value-added resellers (VARs) sign on as existing SAP Business One partners continue to grow their businesses, including expansion into new territories. The announcement was made at the SAP Americas' 2006 Summer Partner Summit, being held July 17-20, in Denver, Colorado.

As small and midsize businesses face increasingly complex business practices and rising costs of operations, they require affordable, easy-to- implement business management solutions delivered with local market and industry experience. SAP has enhanced the size and scope of its SAP Business One partner channel, working with qualified partners nationwide to solve business problems and support successful, long-term business strategies for SMEs. Under the SAP(R) PartnerEdge(TM) channel partner program, the new and growing partners will increase the local availability of SAP Business One and provide enhanced vertical industry expertise nationwide.

"We have been operating in an environment where small businesses increasingly demand improved levels of functionality, performance and efficiency from their business solutions," said Richard Paul Thomas, President & CEO, TBC International, Inc. "Joining with SAP allows us to expand our reach and offer a powerful solution that meets our customers' needs for a unified, up-to-the-minute view across their entire business, scalability and the rapid realization of value."

New Partners Increase Geographic Coverage, Add Vertical Breadth

SAP has grown its partner channel by identifying qualified reseller companies that have achieved "trusted advisor" status within their respective regions, working with local customers to identify and solve crucial business problems. New SAP Business One partners include:

-- Connect Vision of Orlando, Florida a provider of retail solutions and integration services, recently opened it first U.S. office after successfully selling and implementing SAP Business One in South Africa.

-- DAAN Consulting of Chicago, Illinois provides services and implementation support for SAP(R) R/3(R) and SAP Business One in the wholesale/distribution and utilities industry.

-- Dalcom Consulting of Greensboro, North Carolina offers retail industry solutions and enhanced point of sale (POS) functionality.

-- Data Business Systems of Virginia Beach, Virginia provides specialty retail and point-of-sale (POS) solutions and support.

-- The Elevation Group, LLC of Allentown, Pennsylvania has recently opened new locations in Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia to deliver solutions and implementation services for food and beverage distribution companies.

-- 5th Gear Solutions of Lake Forest, California offers comprehensive technology and process-based solutions to small and midsize manufacturers.

-- Munics Information Systems, Inc. of Clifton, New Jersey delivers solutions focused on the wholesale/distribution industries with additional specialties in food production, building materials and electronic equipment manufacturing.

-- Niefert Certified Solutions of San Diego, California provides compliance support and works with German-based companies with U.S. and Latin American subsidiaries.

-- Real Solutions of Chicago, Illinois provides exceptional service and training support, and recently opened a second office in Tampa, Florida.

-- Software Outfitters of Boise, Idaho delivers process expertise in accounting and mobile enterprise functionality.

-- TBC International, Inc. of Salado, Texas offers expertise in manufacturing, construction and distribution in 22 states and areas of Latin America.

Existing Partners Expand Operations

Existing SAP Business One resellers have leveraged a growing demand for a single solution seamlessly combining financial management, customer relationship management (CRM) and manufacturing capabilities, and the success of SAP Business One customers to attract more customers, increase revenue opportunities and widen the scope of their operations. In 2006, four SAP partners have expanded their operations to include new territories and metropolitan areas.

"As a reseller partner, we combine our reputation for technical expertise and implementation support with the business management capabilities of SAP Business One," said Dave Howe, founder, Real Solutions. "Since making our decision to partner with SAP, our growth prospects have been substantial, allowing us to open a new location in Tampa, Florida and gain exposure to a whole new customer base."

In addition to Real Solutions, three other SAP Business One resellers have expanded operations:

-- IMG Americas, Inc. of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania has achieved SAP Business One partner certification for its Atlanta, Georgia office

-- RSM McGladrey Inc. of Bloomington, Minnesota now offers SAP Business One in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Des Moines, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri, in addition to several locations around the country.

-- Tryarc LLC of Los Angeles, California has opened a new sales location in San Francisco, California.

To support the growth of its partners, SAP has established the SAP PartnerEdge Channel Program, an attractive program for resellers of all sizes to flourish and grow. With a unique system of value points for rewarding both transaction and capability-enhancing activities, the program aligns both SAP and its partners toward mutual success and long-term customer satisfaction.

"We are building a channel of experienced partners, well respected for their ability to serve SME customers, and our newest resellers are widely recognized in the industry for their demonstrated performance," said Dan Kraus, vice president, SAP Business One. "At the same time, in broadening our coverage, we are committed to helping successful partners grow and providing them with new market opportunities. We look forward to the benefits of this expansion of our network in allowing us to reach greater numbers of SMEs with integrated business management solutions."

About SAP(R) Business One

Designed specifically for small and midsize enterprises, SAP(R) Business One allows business owners to achieve an up-to-date and unified view of their operations, improve business-process efficiency and take advantage of growth opportunities. SAP Business One can be deployed rapidly, providing instantaneous access to critical business information through intuitive, easy to use reporting and drill down capabilities. With more than 1,211 business partners, 250 industry- and process-specific scenarios and add-ons, and nearly 40 country versions, SAP Business One is helping 10,000 companies worldwide seamlessly link with customers and suppliers and with parent companies using mySAP(TM) Business Suite applications. Underlining the application's proven success, Small Business Technology Magazine selected SAP Business One as the 2005 Technology Product of the Year. (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/solutions/smb/businessone )

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software*. Today, more than 33,200 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP(R) applications-from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize enterprises to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver(R) platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP software helps enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. With subsidiaries in more than 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/)

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.