Recently named one of the top-10 “most engaged brands on the Web” for its engagement with customers and partners through its social media channel, theSAP community network, as well as through Facebook, Twitter, wikis and blogs,SAP AG(NYSE: SAP) continues to add new services and features to the SAP community network to enhance the user experience for its more than 1.7 million global members.
target=”_blank”>Wetpaint/Altimeter Group’s ENGAGEMENTdb reportranks SAP as the only business-to-business company in the top 10 of 100 global brands in terms of social media engagement, noting the company’s robust strategy, dedicated team and strong presence in social media. The report uncovers how the world’s most valuable brands are experiencing a direct correlation between financial performance and deep social media engagement.
Continuing to invest and expand its involvement in social media, SAP announced the launch of new community network offerings such as additionalBusiness Process Expert (BPX)communities dedicated to understanding International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), implementingSAP® Business Suite 7software and supporting the recently announced PlaNet Finance partnership (see “SAP and PlaNet Finance Join Forces to Create Sustainable Business Models Through Access to Microfinance and Technology”). SAP will now serve as an OpenID provider, which will enable easier access to the large network of partners and other resources offered by the SAP community network. Additional collaboration platform enhancements improve overall performance and collaboration through the addition of ratings and improved search capabilities providing members increased value from the community network.
“SAP’s innovative ‘community’ programs help it to engage deeply and build long-term loyalty with both customers and partners, while enlisting their feedback on industry-specific needs and solution requirements,” Ovum analysts Warren Wilson and Nishant Singh wrote in a recent report. “The community programs tend to foster stability in challenging economic times and growth opportunities as the economy rebounds.”
Technology Enhancements Improve the Experience of Community Users
Technology enhancements have improved the user experience for community network members by making searches and access to content easier. In response to members’ feedback, an improved user interface andsearch applicationwas delivered making information searches easier and allowing editors to identify content that is important and relevant to the entire community, increasing accessibility of resources to a larger audience. Additionally, partners will find that their content, promotional materials and links can be found more easily with the enhanced search services applications.
With the introduction of the SAP community network’s OpenID, members can use Single Identity managed byOpenID foundationto access multiple Web sites with one sign-on. Members will have the convenience of using the same identity to log onto different sites, which simplifies the overall experience by eliminating the need to remember multiple passwords and user names. OpenID will enable faster and more personalized service and greater access to information from the wide network of SAP partners. Members using OpenID will no longer need to register for new accounts as the service will automatically log users into participating Web sites, as well as authenticate and confirm that the sites are trusted.
The success of the SAP community network can be directly attributed to the openness and the ability of members to provide feedback on the content others contribute. The rating and ranking features allow direct feedback from community members to help other members navigate through the large amount of content available in the community network virtual library. Members can now provide feedback on additional resources, such as whitepapers, webinars, blogs and e-learnings. Expanding the opportunity to provide feedback will help content owners understand the relevance of their materials to other users and adhere to the quality standards expected by the community.
New Business Process Expert (BPX) Communities Added
TheBusiness Process Expert (BPX) communityis an online network that connects SAP customers, partners and community members by offering a unique forum and repository for knowledge that focuses on a wide variety of SAP-related topics. New additions include theInternational Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)andSAP Business Suite 7user communities, where members can post and respond to inquiries, share articles and documents, and contribute to blogs about their experiences relevant to IFRS and SAP Business Suite 7.
SAP believes that IFRS represents a major change in the way many companies currently present their financial results. The new community will focus on the impact that IFRS will have on business and how SAP solutions make the transition easier. As solutions from SAP are already IFRS capable,the communityoffers a knowledge center containing information on how to get started with IFRS projects, blogs by experts and a forum where members can ask questions about implementation. TheSAP® EcoHubsite will also contain information about SAP partners and the services they offer to help implement IFRS.
The newSAP Business Suite 7 communityoffers a forum for users of the next-generation software suite that helps businesses optimize their performance and reduce IT costs. It provides a resource for members to engage openly and learn from each other, offering materials and information about the software and industry-rich value scenarios-end-to-end business processes that focus on industry-specific outcomes that span organizational boundaries and application silos.
In support of the long-term strategic collaboration between SAP and PlaNet Finance, a leading international non-profit organization that provides support services to microfinance institutions in some of the poorest regions of the world, SAP launched anew communityinitiative to encourage active contribution by the community and help under-served markets. Upon reaching the goal of 3,000 active contributors (over 250 points) for 2009, SAP will contribute EUR 200,000 toward programs managed through its partnerPlaNet Finance.
“SAP’s communities of innovation harness the collective knowledge and power of developers, partners, customers, business process experts and others to help customers maximize their technology investments,” said Mark Yolton, senior vice president, SAP Community Network, SAP AG. “The SAP community network provides a trusted and validated environment to exchange ideas, discuss needs and identify solutions for co-innovation that leads to more revenue, growth and value for customers.”
TheSAP community networkis an active and vibrant community of customers, partners, employees and other thought leaders from around the world that share knowledge and experience on numerous SAP-related topics. It provides an open environment for experts to collaborate openly through interactive blogs, wikis and forums, giving members access to information and trusted resources so they can truly co-innovate to solve problems and obtain fast, high-quality responses to questions.
About SAP
SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 89,000 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol “SAP.” For more information, visitwww.sap.com
