Microsoft, SAP Launch Joint Partner Program For New Duet App
Tuesday the two companies announced the availability of the new Duet Enterprise that connects Microsoft’s SharePoint 2010 collaboration software with SAP applications, providing Microsoft users with easier access to business processes and data in SAP systems.
The new software expands on the Duet technology Microsoft and SAP jointly developed and debuted in May 2006 that created links between Microsoft Office desktop applications and SAP systems. That allows workers to use familiar Office applications as a front end to the SAP enterprise software.
Customers and partners have frequently requested deeper integration between their Microsoft and SAP systems, said Eric Swift, Microsoft SharePoint general manager, while touting the new product’s capabilities in a statement. “Duet Enterprise delivers on that need by combining the power of the SharePoint business collaboration platform and the familiarity of Microsoft Office 2010 applications with world-leading business process solutions from SAP,” he said.
Duet Enterprise uses technology SAP has been developing for some time under what the company has called “Project Gateway,” a broad effort to make data in SAP systems available through a wide range of desktop systems and mobile devices.
The SAP Project Gateway technology in Duet Enterprise “enables easy and standards-based access to SAP applications,” said Michael Reh, general manager and senior vice president of information worker solutions at SAP, in a statement. “And together with SharePoint, the software delivers a layer of interoperability that allows customers and partners to focus on creating solutions that drive business growth while helping ensure that all technical integration aspects work reliably together.”
The new SAP-Microsoft Unite Partner Connection program offers partners in SAP’s PartnerEdge program and the Microsoft Partner Network a range of training, sales support and marketing resources to help them build solutions around the Duet Enterprise platform. Atos Origin, Logica and Wipro are among the initial members of the joint partner initiative, according to Microsoft and SAP.