ESPRIT Selects SAP

NEW YORK, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continuing its successful track record of providing retail and wholesale customers around the world with best-in-class business software, SAP AG today announced that ESPRIT, an international lifestyle brand, has selected mySAP(TM) ERP as the platform to run the company's global retail and wholesale operations. ESPRIT selected SAP to increase effectiveness and efficiency of its processes as well as to increase sales and support international growth. The agreement includes SAP for Retail solutions and the SAP(R) Apparel and Footwear application. With this signing, ESPRIT joins a growing list of companies that are using the Safe Passage program -- a tailored package of applications, technology and incentives -- to migrate to SAP. The announcement was made at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Conference, being held in New York, NY, January 15-17.

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Choosing SAP, ESPRIT will focus on integrating its various applications, including existing implementations of financials and business intelligence applications from SAP, with the newly selected end-to-end retail suite and apparel and footwear application. This integration will enable the company to support its growth strategies as well as its vertical business model to integrate retail and wholesale within its supply chain.

"We selected SAP because of the broad functional coverage SAP provides to both retail and wholesale processes," said Thomas Grote, President ESPRIT Brand. "We believe the SAP solutions will help us -- in understanding our customers, anticipating their needs and then being able to execute better and inspire them to shop with us again and again. This will ultimately help drive profitable business growth for ESPRIT."

ESPRIT has selected SAP NetWeaver(R) as the platform for enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA). SAP's integrated retail and supply chain solutions link supply directly to demand, shortening lead times and enabling companies to react quickly to changes in consumer demand.

"SAP's industry focus and software customized for vertical apparel companies will enable ESPRIT to integrate and globalize its retail and wholesale business, reduce deployment risk and enhance its ability to compete in the global marketplace," said Rick Chavie, senior vice president, Trading Industries, SAP. "We are very pleased to welcome ESPRIT to the SAP retail and wholesale family."

About ESPRIT

ESPRIT is an international youthful lifestyle brand offering smart luxury at affordable prices. The Group runs 12 established product lines offering women's wear, men's wear, kid's wear, edc youth as well as shoes and accessories in over 660 directly managed retail stores and over 11.450 wholesale point-of-sales world-wide.

ESPRIT products are designed with customers in mind and made with a special ESPRIT twist. The brand is for the contemporary lifestyle of today, that is ESPRIT's core philosophy. Customers trust ESPRIT's guidance in today's crowded fashion environment, because ESPRIT lines are contemporary and stylish, however, don't try to follow every latest short lived trend.

ESPRIT constantly checks quality and fit, and invest in manufacturing, setting itself the highest standards. A team of international designers translate the ESPRIT philosophy and brand values into products that are authentic, sensual and stylish, bolstering customers' personality and confidence. This is why customers remain very loyal to the brand, proven by one of the highest repurchase rates in the industry. ESPRIT is about lifestyle, about attitude, not age. This is a common thread, an international language that customers understand. (Additional information at http://www.esprit.com/ )

About Safe Passage

Safe Passage programs from SAP are comprehensive offerings from SAP addressing the concerns of Oracle customers of all sizes facing the uncertainties of the end of life of Oracle, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, Siebel and Retek solutions. The elements of Safe Passage programs include: access to SAP's best-in-class enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other market- leading solutions; financial protection for a customer's existing investment in Oracle EBS, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, Siebel Systems and Retek; SAP Financing options; immediate integration benefits through the SAP NetWeaver(R) platform; and migration support services. In addition, third-party maintenance for certain PeopleSoft and JD Edwards solutions is available through SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow and SAP's network of channel partners focused on small and midsize enterprises. For more information, please visit http://www.sap.com/safepassage .

About SAP Apparel and Footwear

SAP Apparel and Footwear is an integrated and comprehensive application to address the particular needs of the apparel and footwear industry. It puts apparel and footwear companies in complete control of their supply chain, from procuring raw materials to delivering finished styles through their wholesale operations. The application integrates global sourcing, in-house and offshore manufacturing, subcontracting, and direct shipment processes so that global strategies can be implemented and a consistent quality ensured.

About SAP for Retail

SAP for Retail is a solution portfolio that helps retailers understand their business, anticipate the needs of their business and inspire their customers, employees and shareholders by delivering results. The portfolio comprises an end-to-end set of retail solutions; merchandise management and planning; store operations (through the acquisition and integration of Triversity POS solutions); and base finance and HR solutions. SAP for Retail helps retailers of all sizes to create shopping experiences that their customers will want again and again, by providing the ability to make the right decisions quickly and profitably (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/retail/ ).

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software*. Today, more than 36,200 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP(R) applications -- from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize enterprises to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver(R) platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP software helps enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/ )

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

NOTE: SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, 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 and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serve informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 800-872-1SAP (800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Evan Welsh, 610-203-9742, evan.welsh@sap.com, EST SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; 610-661-3200, EST; press@sap.com Morgan Mauritz, Burson-Marsteller, 415-515-2625, morgan.mauritz@bm.com, EST Sabine Hollstein, Burson-Marsteller, +49 69 238 09-55, sabine.hollstein@bm.com, CET