SAP, Intel to join for e-commerce

Intel (INTC) and the U.S. arm of German enterprise software giant SAP next week will unveil new Internet commerce offerings for the business market.

Intel, one of SAP's largest customers, has been largely invisible in the e-commerce market, but the sheer size of both partners suggests the announcement should be noteworthy.

"As a company, we are in the process of moving systems into the e-commerce space," said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy. He said Tuesday's announcement grew out of Intel's own use of SAP software but will be targeted externally, not just for Intel's own use.

SAP spokeswoman Narina Sippy said SAP's Internet offerings to date have extended Internet functions of its flagship R/3 3.1 business process software, adding that the Intel partnership will reflect a new direction for the software company.

SAP AG, parent company of SAP America, announced in March that its workflow software is being modified to allow it to work over the Web. That followed December's announcement that the company had added Internet elements for its R/3 3.1 offering.

The software offers 25 Java-based components for Internet use, plus 10 employee self-service human resources applications for intranets. The intranet applications let employees fill expense reports, verify employment and salary information, and perform other functions.

The SAP Internet software is designed to work with network computers (NCs) and NetPCs.

Intel is an investor in CNET: The Computer Network.