HP, Microsoft Deliver App

ATLANTA -- HP (NYSE:HPQ), Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) and SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) today unveiled a new appliance that allows access to SAP business processes and data via Microsoft® Office applications on high-performance HP servers.

The result of a collaborative effort, “Duet™ by SAP and Microsoft, powered by HP” is an HP ProLiant server that has been pre-installed with Duet software, a joint solution from Microsoft and SAP that gives information workers seamless access to select SAP business processes and data through Microsoft Office applications.

Duet by SAP and Microsoft, powered by HP acts as an appliance that allows customers to easily create a “proof of concept,” enabling them to more quickly and easily evaluate Duet’s business benefits using customer-specific data. Pre-loaded scripts have been engineered to help customers to jumpstart the Duet proof-of-concept and production implementations.

The Duet appliance speeds up deployment by shortening implementation time from setup to configuration, which both increases return on investment and enables customers to realize business benefits from Duet more quickly.

The Duet appliance also can be expanded to include additional HP ProLiant or HP Integrity servers that can fully integrate with a business’s live Microsoft and SAP applications. The industry-leading HP ProLiant and Integrity server technology behind the Duet appliance will give customers the scalability they need to handle the most demanding workloads with high levels of performance.“Because of our alliances with both Microsoft and SAP, HP is in a leading position to package the benefits of Duet in a flexible and adaptable solution for rapid deployment,” said Chuck Smith, vice president, Enterprise Servers and Storage, Technology Solutions Group – Americas, HP. “HP Integrity and ProLiant servers provide high performance and superior flexibility for instant query execution and very fast response times – even for complex and non-routine queries. The Duet appliance offers flexibility that optimally adapts to business needs.”

“Just a year after launching Duet, a groundbreaking solution that connects SAP software to the Microsoft Office tools people use every day, we are pleased to announce another landmark initiative to accelerate the deployment of Duet,” said Lewis Levin, corporate vice president, Microsoft Office. “Duet by SAP and Microsoft, powered by HP empowers IT organizations with a plug-and-play solution that rapidly delivers the benefits of Duet to their information workers so they can drive more value, faster.”

“We already have tremendous customer and partner momentum with Duet – since last year’s announcement we have sold to more than 250 customers and 400,000 licenses,” said Doug Merritt, executive vice president of Business User Development and corporate officer, SAP Group. “Our appliance strategy with HP and Microsoft is one more example of SAP’s continuing tradition of co-innovation with partners to bring flexibility and innovation to our customers. Duet by SAP and Microsoft, powered by HP helps customers extend the reach of SAP solutions and improve overall productivity. Since the appliance is based on enterprise service-oriented architecture, customers can get their Duet deployment up and running quickly.”

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