IBM and SAP to develop joint software

Slashdot It! Services and software companies IBM and SAP, longtime technology partners, will bring out their first joint software product in the fourth quarter of this year, the two companies said on Monday. The product, code-named Atlantic, will allow users to access SAP's Business Suite applications for work flows, reporting and analytics through IBM's Lotus Notes desktop software. U.S.-based IBM and Germany's SAP, which was founded by five former IBM employees, have collaborated for 35 years. IBM is the world's largest integrator of SAP's business-management software, SAP software is certified for IBM servers, and SAP's favored development database is an IBM one. The two companies, which have been the target of repeated merger speculation, said their thousands of mutual customers had asked for the functions that Atlantic software will supply. Lotus Notes, which is designed for accessing business e-mail, calendars, and collaborative tools such as instant messaging from a Lotus Domino server, is used by more 135 million people worldwide, according to IBM. Via Cnet Get Daily Updates via Email Protect your computer with Windows Onecare Get paid $7.50 for reviewing my post