On the partnership front, SAP formed a joint venture with Intel called Pandesic, which offers an integrated E-business package to small business, including hardware, software, consulting, and system administration. Company officials say they now have more than 100 customers and are continuing to add new features and functions to the product. Customers want a complete process that can link them with their business partners. That is what we are focusing on. SAP says several hundred of its more than 11,000 employees are working exclusively on E-business programs.
Analysts seem to approve of the direction the company is taking.
They really seem to understand the Internet and its implications for the extended enterprise. That's a big difference from previous years. When we first went live with our own E-business initiative, SAP showed no interest in getting involved.