SAP PArtner Guide
COntent
4 SAP Ecosystem and Partners 4 Partner Program Focus 4 Partner Types
4 Partner Services and Benefits
4 Marketing Awareness, Branding, and Lead Generation
5 Incremental Business
Development and Revenue-Share Programs
6 Software Integration and Co-Innovation
7 Implementation and Certification Services, Shared Process, and Industry Expertise
8 Partner Recognition Programs
8 SAP Pinnacle Awards
8 SAP PartnerEdge
8 Get Connected: Join SAP PartnerEdge
9 Introducing SAP
Overview
SAP® Ecosystem and Partners
At SAP, we recognize the vital role our partners play in our ecosystem – a community of organizations and individ-uals focused on a common goal – cus-tomer success. In this guide, you will learn how your organization can partici-pate in our partner programs, which provide a strong foundation of support and collaboration that fosters unparal-leled value and mutual business suc-cess for our customers, our partners, and SAP.
Partner Program Focus
Our partners share SAP’s passion for customer value. Together we create a thriving ecosystem in which our valued partners can be successful – a win-win situation for all. SAP is committed to supporting our partners through our award-winning partner programs, like the SAP® PartnerEdge™ program. These partner programs focus on:
• Greater market exposure and
ex-panded business opportunities
• Rewards for sales success, solution
development, and the ability to sat-isfy our mutual customers
• Joint sales and marketing initiatives
• Access to a broad and growing
cus-tomer base
• Market development funding
• Technical expertise on SAP software
platforms and solutions
• Co-innovation and codevelopment
• Collaborative planning and execution
Partner Types
SAP offers global and local partnership categories for every strategic business area and customer need in all market segments. So no matter your area of ex-pertise, we invite you to take advantage of an opportunity to grow your business by aligning with SAP.
As an SAP partner, you will find a role at the level of commitment right for your business – from far-reaching glob-al glob-alliances to locglob-al, industry-specific collaborations. At every level, you can rely on SAP for intensive, back-office marketing support, sales support, tech-nical services, training, and certification
opportunities. Learn more about
part-nering with SAP and our partnership categories. See Figure 1 for a view of partner categories.
Partner Services and Benefits
The combined expertise, experience, and insights of the SAP ecosystem and partner network lead to better solutions for our customers. As an SAP partner, you can tap into resources that will help you grow and maximize business results. When you join our partner net-work, you gain access to more than 30 years of experience spanning 25 in-dustry segments. SAP partnership also offers several opportunities for part-ners to engage in initiatives spanning market awareness, codevelopment, and technical certification as well as participation in diverse community- related activities.
Marketing Awareness, Branding, and Lead Generation
Extend the reach to SAP customers with marketing awareness, branding, and lead generation:
• SAP partner branding and logo
usage: SAP partners can use SAP
partner logos as well as relevant
• SAP software solution partners – Develop integrated applications that have passed the certifica-tion or validacertifica-tion process • SAP technology
partners – Provide infrastructure for SAP® solutions
• SAP content partners – Integrate data, intellectual property, or information services
• SAP services partners – Help SAP customers design, implement, and integrate SAP solutions • SAP channel partners –
Access new customers in the expanding SME market
• SAP hosting partners – Offer a portfolio of hosting services for SAP applications
• SAP education partners – Deliver high-quality, profes-sional training for SAP solutions and technology • SAP support partners –
Provide the best possible support throughout the lifecycle of SAP solutions
Innovate Deliver Support
Figure 1: SAP Partner Categories
SAP partner demand-generation templates. The SAP partner logos correspond to the three partnership levels within the different partner pro-grams: SAP partner, SAP gold ner, and SAP global partner. For part-ners, logo usage provides branding credibility especially relevant as they attempt to reach the SAP customers. Partners also have access to a
num-ber of ecosystem thought-leadership
articles, white papers, and videos – content that partners can leverage as they approach the SAP customer base.
• SAP EcoHub: An online marketplace
of SAP and partner solutions, The
SAP EcoHub site allows customers to discover, evaluate, and buy the right solution, and then find the right de-ployment partners based on industry,
geography, or line of business. For
partners, SAP EcoHub provides easy reach to customers and branding credibility, as well as several opportu-nities for comarketing their solutions. For additional information about SAP
EcoHub, please visit ecohub.sap.com.
• SAP events: SAP partnership status
is one of the most important tickets to SAP events. Guidelines for partici-pating, exhibiting, sponsoring, adver-tising, and networking vary according to the event and depend in most cas-es on event-specific topic areas. SAP participates in and hosts a variety of events worldwide. For partners, these events provide an opportunity to raise the visibility of their offerings to a qualified SAP customer
audience.
Incremental Business Development and Revenue-Share Programs
The following are incremental business development and revenue-share programs:
•The SAP Referral program makes it easy for prospective partners to earn revenue on business opportuni-ties you identify and share. Once you sign up for membership in the referral program, you can submit leads, track their status – and, ultimately, earn big returns on those that are converted to wins. Program membership is open and requires only a simple registration.
Figure 2: SAP Ecosystem and Partners
Trusted and Relevant Partner Solutions and Services S AP® P ar tnerEdge™ Indus tr y V alue N etw or k pr ogr am In du st ry st andar ds Communities of Innovation SAP software solution partners SAP services
partners SAP technology partners SAP channel
partners Business Process Expert community
SAP Developer
Network Enterprise Services Community
SAP BusinessObjects
community Customers
SAP EcoHub – Connecting for Success
•SAP solution extensions are devel-oped by independent partners to integrate easily with SAP software – offering cross-solution and cross- industry functionality that comple-ment SAP solution functionality. To help ensure the highest quality, SAP tests, validates, approves, and sup-ports partner-developed solutions – assuring customers of SAP quality, commitment, and support, and greater return on investment. SAP solutions extensions require a re-seller agreement and are branded as an SAP solution, as well as listed on the SAP price list. For partners, this represents the highest level of engagement with SAP sales – lever-aging an effective channel for selling to the SAP installed customer base. Note: this program is by invitation only.
• Endorsed business solutions are
complementary to SAP software offerings, are developed in accor-dance with SAP development guide-lines, and provide additional choices and flexibility for businesses running SAP software. The SAP-endorsed
business solutions require a co-sell agreement and are sold by SAP part-ners in close collaboration with SAP. For partners, this endorsement helps validate the solutions. This is clearly reflected through the solutions’ inte-gration into the industry solution maps. Note: this program is by invitation only.
Software Integration and Co-Innovation
SAP promotes software integration and co-innovation for holistic, value-added customer solutions:
• Software solution integration
certifi-cations: To help ensure the quality of integrations, we provide integra-tion certificaintegra-tions along with guidance and support to help you get your
products to market quickly. An SAP
integration certification ensures cus-tomers that a third-party solution truly integrates with an SAP product or technology. For partners, SAP’s certification process guarantees high-quality integration of partner products and demonstrates to customers that the solution allows a smooth flow of
business data through SAP software via open interfaces.
• Co-innovation labs: SAP has
estab-lished co-innovation labs in Palo Alto,
Bangalore, and Tokyo where soft-ware vendors, integrators, and tech-nology partners work with SAP on a variety of projects that may be initiat-ed by an independent software ven-dor (ISV) or an internal SAP group. Participation in these labs is open to all prospective partners, who can
contact the SAP Co-Innovation Lab
for more information or to submit a project proposal. For partners, the lab presents an exciting opportunity for co-innovation as well as demon-strating thought leadership in their area of expertise.
• Industry Value Network: The
Industry Value Network program forms an integral part of the SAP ecosystem. These industry-specific networks create a platform that strives to identify and discuss busi-ness trends as well as industry needs. The objective of the program is to facilitate and market the delivery of integrated, multivendor solutions through collaboration and co-innova-tion. For partners, participation in the Industry Value Network program cre-ates mutual benefits through sharing information and combining industry and domain expertise of all participants.
• Enterprise Services Community:
The Enterprise Services Community program is a dynamic network of customers and partners from diverse industries who collaborate to define new enterprise services and share ideas and innovations. This collabora-tion yields an evolving set of enter-prise services that SAP packages
in dividuals who have demonstrated their abilities by passing demanding process-oriented exams. Whether you are a customer, partner, or user, SAP certification gives you a distinct competitive advantage. For additional information about the SAP certi-fication, please read about the
certification program on the SAP partner portal.
• SAP certification for services: The
training and certification that leads to
becoming an SAP-certified provider
of software integration services for
ISVs aims to enhance the scope of
the technical enablement of services provided by consulting companies to software vendors pursuing tion certification in any of the integra-tion areas including Java develop-ment, ABAP™ programming language development, SAP BusinessObjects™ XI solutions content development, and SOA-based development. For
partners, this certification serves as a confirmation of the necessary expertise to deploy the associated solutions – with potential for new business from customers deploying the related solutions.
• Community network at SAP: The
community network at SAP provides a vibrant community of SAP develop-ers, consultants, integrators, busi-ness process experts, and busibusi-ness analysts that allows all partners and users to gain and share knowledge about subjects ranging from technical topics to business process models, as well as analytics applications used by business users. Some examples of various communities are listed below:
– SAP Developer Network: The SAP
Developer Network (SDN) site is a vibrant development community that can help participants gain and share knowledge about technical topics like ABAP, Java, .NET, SOA, and other cutting-edge technolo-gies. By participating in SDN, part-ners can leverage the combined expertise of the community through blogs, discussion forums, exclusive downloads and code samples, training materials, and a robust technical library. – Business Process Expert
nity: This rapidly growing commu-nity of 500,000 members includes systems integrators, business ana-lysts, functional consultants, and business process owners. The
members of the Business Process
Expert (BPX) community have ac-cess to specific benefits such as process modeling, change man-agement tips, best practice meth-odologies, and virtual roundtables. and makes available to partners
through Enterprise Services Reposi-tory in SAP NetWeaver. By partici-pating in this community, partners can play a significant role in helping define enterprise services created by SAP and partners. For more informa-tion, please visit the service-oriented
architecture (SOA) section in the SAP
Developer Network community site.
Implementation and Certification Services, Shared Process, and Industry Expertise
SAP provides enhanced implementa-tion and certificaimplementa-tion services and promotes shared process and industry expertise to establish thought
leadership:
• SAP certification for individuals:
SAP offers training and certifications for individuals focused on SAP tech-nologies across a number of disci-plines. Certification is offered to
– SAP BusinessObjects community: The SAP BusinessObjects commu-nity is a powerful resource for de-velopers, IT users, partners, and business users who are building or extending solutions that enable business users to access, analyze, and share data within and outside their organizations.
Partner Recognition Programs
SAP and our partners have the top minds and top solutions for software, hardware, consulting, or services to serve the ever-growing global business software market. Our vision is clear – leverage our ecosystem to deliver the best technology, best services, and best solutions to our customers. Part of the SAP partner recognition pro-grams, the SAP Pinnacle Awards are awarded annually at the SAPPHIRE® conference to recognize those partners who have excelled in working with SAP to help ensure our customers’ success.
SAP Pinnacle Awards
The SAP Pinnacle Awards recognize those services, technology, outsourc-ing, and software partners who have excelled in developing the partnership and mutual business with SAP by providing quality products, solutions, and services to customers. Winners are selected from nominations received from partners and SAP employees. Read the following for details:
•Most recent categories and winners •Selection criteria, categories,
nomination and selection process, and benefits
SAP PartnerEdge
SAP PartnerEdge offers an innovative partner program designed for organiza-tions that develop complementary solu-tions and services offerings based on SAP solutions and technologies. As you strive to meet the highest level of customer satisfaction, we are commit-ted to help you succeed in that endeav-or and have several enablement servic-es offered through the SAP
PartnerEdge program.
For additional information, please visit the SAP PartnerEdge program that supports software solution partners or
service partners.
Figure 3: SAP PartnerEdge Program Provides Enablement Services to Partners
Get Connected: Join SAP PartnerEdge
The SAP PartnerEdge program is your gateway to all services and benefits outlined in this document. Below is a typical process to becoming an SAP partner.
Step 1: Apply
• Complete the online application at
http://partner.sap.com
• Provide information about your
com-pany, solution, industry, key contacts, and other information
Step 2: Qualify
• Provide additional information, as
required by market unit or region
• Receive the legal agreement from
SAP to sign
• Complete all membership
requirements Step 3: Sign
• Return signed legal agreement
• Pay the annual program fee
• Receive the official SAP partner
status
Step 4: Onboard
• Complete SAP PartnerEdge overview
training
• Meet your assigned SAP partner
support advisor
• Get access to the SAP PartnerEdge
portal
• Complete online partner profile,
in-cluding solutions and services Step 5: Leverage
• Enable your personnel on SAP
solutions
• Access and leverage SAP tools,
methodologies, and your advisor
• Engage with the right SAP personnel
to create win-win situations
• Leverage the SAP PartnerEdge
portal to manage your activities with SAP
Technical
Enablement Marketing Enablement Sales Enablement SAP® PartnerEdge™
Introducing SAP
As the world’s leading provider of business software,* SAP delivers prod-ucts and services that help accelerate business innovation for our customers. Our vision is for companies of all sizes to become best-run businesses. In to-day’s challenging business environ-ment, best-run companies have clarity across all aspects of their business, which allows them to act quickly with increased insight, efficiency, and flexi-bility. By using SAP solutions, com-panies of all sizes – including small businesses and midsize companies – can reduce costs, optimize perfor-mance, and gain the insight and agility needed to close the gap between strategy and execution.
Today, over 85,000 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP applica-tions – from distinct soluapplica-tions that ad-dress the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to enterprise offerings for global organizations.
SAP solutions address the unique busi-ness process requirements of more than 25 industries.
Founded in 1972, SAP has a rich
history of innovation and growth as a true industry leader. SAP currently has sales and development locations
in more than 50 countries worldwide
and is listed on several exchanges, in-cluding the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and NYSE under the symbol “SAP.” For additional information about SAP,
please visit www.sap.com.
* SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product lifecycle management, and supplier relationship management.
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50 097 332 (09/10) ©2009 by SAP AG.
All rights reserved. SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, 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 other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and in other countries. Business Objects is an SAP company.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.
