SAP Expands On-Demand CRM Apps

The new on-demand offering is expected to lead a number of product strategy announcements SAP will make at the conference, including outlining plans for the next generation of the vendor's CRM and ERP applications, as well as providing a report card on customer adoption of its NetWeaver application platform, according to the company.

SAP is trying to expand its share of the enterprise applications market while Oracle, its chief rival, is focused on integrating its E-Business Suite applications with other applications it gained when it acquired PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, and Siebel Systems. In March, SAP said more than 200 companies had migrated away from Oracle to SAP applications under its "Safe Passage" program. The company is expected to announce additions to that program at Sapphire.

SAP Marketing on-demand applications include campaign management, customer segmentation, and lead management capabilities. They also provide role maintenance and owner realignment features for customizing the application to users' specific needs. Prices start at $125 per user per month.

SAP is also expanding its on-demand sales application to include new sales pipeline performance management capabilities. The product is now available in a greater range of languages as well.

This week SAP also said it was creating a network of chemical industry customers and independent software vendors to accelerate the development of industry-specific applications on the NetWeaver platform. SAP applications are a mainstay in the chemical industry, and the new network includes Dow Corning, DuPont, Eastman Chemical, and others. SAP has a similar "industry value network" for the banking industry and is expected to announce others at Sapphire.