Step-by-Step Guide for Certification of Third-Party Software

SAP Integration & Certification Center February 2005

SAP solutions provide a rich set of interfaces that enable customers and third-party vendors to integrate add-on software. In order to support a seamless integration and to ensure high quality and customer satisfaction for standard, SAP established the integration certification program back in 1996. This program focuses on the most frequented integration scenarios (SAP-defined) but also evaluates less frequented scenarios upon request (third-party defined). All integration and platform certification programs are applicable worldwide. Through this program independent software vendors and SAP partners can work with one of the Integration & Certification Centers (ICCs) to: Find the most suitable integration scenario Get access to appropriate SAP test systems Prepare for interface certification Have interface software tested and certified by SAP Subscribe to helpful integration consulting services Receive marketing benefits to promote the SAP-certified third-party integration

Mission of the SAP Integration & Certification Program Explore new integration opportunities Support high quality integration Achieve customer awareness and satisfaction Assist SAP partner programs and initiatives

Lower TCO for SAP Customers Pre-tested third-party integrations reduce implementation time and cost. SAP and non-SAP solutions Powered by SAP NetWeaver use one common platform to save hardware, software, and training resources. Stable integration scenarios ensure data integrity at implementation time, during upgrades, and throughout the integration lifecycle. Convenient selection of SAP-certified third-party integrations http://www.sap.com/softwarepartnerdir

1/5

Finding a suitable integration and certification scenario Meanwhile SAP continuously documents over 90 pre-defined integration scenarios for any interested independent software vendor. These SAP-defined integration scenarios are listed according to SAP solution they mainly integrate with or alphabetically for your convenience. Your product is programmed in any language other than ABAP, SAPs proprietary programming language, and matches one of these pre-defined integration scenarios? Then register here. Solutions written in ABAP can only be SAP-certified with focus on their proper installation. Please refer to the Step-by-Step Guide for ABAP Add-ons instead. J2EE-compliant solutions can also be certified for their deployment on the SAP Web Application Server J2EE-Engine. Please also refer to the Step-by-Step Guide for J2EE-Deployment. Business Packages for the SAP Enterprise Portal require dedicated handling since these solutions can also be published in the Portal Content Portfolio on the SAP Developer Network (SDN). Please refer to the Step-by-Step Guide for Business Packages XI-Adapters can be tightly integrated with the SAP Exchange Infrastructure, the XML-based backbone of SAP NetWeaver. Please refer to the Step-by-Step Guide for XI-Adapters for this latest certification opportunity. Your product does not match one of these pre-defined integration scenarios nor is it written in ABAP or J2EE-compliant? Register your product and describe your own integration scenario (third-party defined). The ICCs will investigate for you whether an integration assessment is suitable. Register here. During the assessment an SAP integration consultant will evaluate the interface options and technologies to be implemented by a third-party vendor in order for a product to be admitted to the final SAP interface certification test. To get started, you may want to read the SAP Integration Guide Technologies, which gives you an overview on SAP-endorsed integration technologies that may qualify for this type of certification. Valuable integration information can also be found also in the SAP Interface Repository and the SAP Help Portal.

How can I get access to SAP Systems for Integration Testing? Integrations with SAP solutions do not necessarily require an onsite SAP test system. The SAP Developer Package (DPA) offered by the ICCs allows remote access to pre-configured SAP systems for integration testing purposes. These systems are maintained by ICC specialists so that third-party vendors can completely focus on the implementation of the interface rather than additionally maintaining an SAP test system. Please contact the ICC if you are not sure, whether your integration can be tested remotely in a shared test environment. SAP Partners may alternatively contact their partner manager for a test and demo license.

2/5

See how easy it is to join this program!

Step 1 Online Application / Contact Us Once you have found a suitable certification opportunity, register your software for certification and other ICC services: http://www.sap.com/partners/apply => select "Interface Certification" as application type

Step 2 Project Kick-off Upon receiving your registration, the ICC will initiate the certification process: You will receive certification contracts for signature (SAP service offer/your acknowledgement). You will receive an invoice, if any fees apply. You will receive contact information for the integration consultant assigned to your project.

Step 3 Test Preparations Once you have contacted your integration consultant: The ICC consultant will provide you with all necessary information and documentation.

Step 5 Certification Testing The certification could take place: At your preferred Integration & Certification Center At your suitable offices, if you pay for ICC consultant travel and subsistence expenses NEW: Via remote access provided by ICC consultant

Step 6 Official Confirmation Once the certification test has been successfully completed, you will receive: the test report signed by both parties an SAP certificate to promote your certified integration the SAP logo "SAP Certified Integration" an official listing in the online SAP partner & product directory additional SAP NetWeaver endorsement if eligible - see: http://www.sap.com/partners/netweaver

3/5

Are you interested in even more publicity in the SAP community?

There are currently three additional opportunities for you to take advantage of:

1. Software Partnership: Software vendors that successfully certify their software can also apply to become SAP software partners: For more information see http://www.sap.com/partner/categories/software or contact mailto:softwarepartner@sap.com

2. Powered by SAP NetWeaver:

As you know, SAP NetWeaver is a product suite that forms the basis of the SAP Enterprise Services Architecture. At the heart of this environment are implementations of SAP NetWeaver as a development and integration platform that enables our mutual customers to achieve a lower TCO with their existing IT infrastructure. To promote these types of implementations, SAP has established the "Powered by SAP NetWeaver" certification for those applications that can: Be deployed on the SAP Web Application Server as J2EE-compliant or ABAP add-on - AND Be integrated into the SAP Enterprise Portal via Business Packages and SAP GUI for HTML respectively OR Be integrated with the SAP Exchange Infrastructure as an XI-adapter

3. SAP Developer Network:

Contribute to the SAP Developer Network to exchange know-how and ideas with other peers, SAP customer, and SAP experts! Submit your content to http://sdn.sap.com and share your experience. You may submit articles describing your software from a technical integration perspective. The ICCs gladly help you review your article so that proper SAP terminology is used (SAP One Voice initiative).

4/5

Information Sources Request assistance For EMEA: For Americas: For APA: Integration Services: Apply for services online http://www.sap.com/partners/apply
Please select "Interface Certification" as application type

icc@sap.com icc-americas@sap.com icc-apa@sap.com

SAP Integration & Certification Center Helpful Tips: SDN blog General Development Tools SAP Interface Repository SAP Developer Network SAP Help Portal Partner Services SAP Partner & Product Directory SAP Service Marketplace

https://www.sdn.sap.com/sdn/icc.sdn

Navigating the Maze of Integration

http://ifr.sap.com http://sdn.sap.com http://help.sap.com

http://www.sap.com/softwarepartnerdir http://service.sap.com/partnerportal (user-ID after certification)

SAP Solutions SAP NetWeaver http://www.sap.com/netweaver

Copyright 2005 SAP AG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SAP, mySAP, SAP NetWeaver, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product, service names, trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.

5/5