Web Services Take One Step Closer to Widespread Adoption in Enterprise-Scale Businesses

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - December 10, 2003 - SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced support for the final release of the WS-I Sample Application 1.0, a set of applications scenarios agreed upon by the Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I), of which SAP is a member. The sample application demonstrates the successful exchange of information among heterogeneous applications using Web services. The sample application validates the business value of Web services by proving they can be used to transmit data and execute business processes across a set of discrete supply chain solutions. By following the guidelines set forth in the sample application, companies will be able to reduce integration complexities in their IT systems and leverage the interoperability benefits of Web services in enterprise-scale operations. The announcement was made at the XML Conference and Exposition 2003, being held in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 7-12.

The WS-I Sample Application 1.0 exercises a previously released set of Web services implementation guidelines known as the Basic Profile 1.0. Released in August 2003, the Basic Profile was significant in its demonstration of several different Web services standards working in harmony across a distributed landscape. The sample application achieves another milestone by graduating this interoperability exercise into an application-to-application exchange of data using standards such as XML, SOAP and WSDL.

“The sample application includes several transactions in a business-to-business and business-to-consumer scenario, showing synchronous and asynchronous communication between a retailer, consumer and warehouse to complete examples of order placement, order tracking and fulfillment,” said Sinisa Zimek, director of SAP NetWeaver standards strategy at SAP and chair of the WS-I Sample Applications Working Group. “As Web services standards mature and the need for efficient data exchange becomes more and more mission critical, the next challenge for customers will be to figure out how to produce and consume this data within their applications through Web services.”

The adoption and use of Web services is gaining momentum in enterprises with support from software vendors such as SAP who promote Web services interoperability through joint industry initiatives such as the Web Services Interoperability Organization (http://ws-i.org). The sample application was developed by a working group within WS-I, which brings the work of multiple standards groups, such as W3C and OASIS, together for the purpose of providing clarity and guidance around Web services interoperability. The organization unites a diverse community of Web services companies to provide guidance, best practices and supporting materials for developing interoperable Web services. SAP is a founding member of WS-I and has been instrumental to the creation, development and adoption of WS-I materials, which includes the WS-I Basic Profile 1.0 and the WS-I Sample Applications 1.0. Since the organization’s inception, SAP has taken leadership in various WS-I working groups, including chairmanship of the WS-I Sample Applications Working Group.

SAP NetWeaver™, the integration and application platform designed to drive lower cost of ownership across heterogeneous IT landscapes, provides full support for the Basic Profile 1.0. With the final release of the WS-I Sample Applications 1.0, SAP demonstrates that customers can start implementing their own Web services applications, which are conformant with the WS-I interoperability guidelines. SAP’s continuous support of industry-ratified implementation guidelines for Web services through WS-I profiles significantly reduces integration challenges for customers; rather than dealing with individual Web services specifications, such as SOAP, WSDL and UDDI, customers can focus on the design and implementation of Web services applications. SAP’s unrivaled expertise in delivering business applications has now become vital to the success of business use of Web services.

“SAP’s experience developing business solutions, combined with its expertise working with vertical industries and developing applications for Web services, makes it a strong resource within the WS-I,” said Chris Kurt, Web services program manager, Microsoft, and board member of the WS-I. “As a co-founder of the WS-I, SAP has been an active member in the organization’s efforts to promote greater interoperability for enterprise applications.”

About WS-I
WS-I is an open industry organization committed to promoting consistent and reliable interoperability among Web services across platforms, applications and programming languages. The organization unites a diverse community of Web services companies to provide guidance, recommended practices, and supporting resources for developing interoperable Web services. Since its formation in February 2002, more than 170 companies have joined WS-I. For more information please visit http://ws-i.org, or e-mail info@ws-i.org.

About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions. Through mySAP™ 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® 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)

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