Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and SAPMarkets Partner To Help Companies Create Comprehensive B2B Exchange Solutions

Agreement to focus on delivery of private exchanges to targeted clients worldwide

Lisbon, Portugal - April 24, 2001 - Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (PSE: PCAP), one of the largest management and IT consulting firms in the world, and SAPMarkets, Inc., the exchange company of SAP group (NYSE: SAP), today announced that they have signed an agreement aimed at helping companies worldwide create comprehensive B2B exchange solutions using the MarketSetT solution.. By signing the agreement with SAPMarkets, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young joined the SAPMarkets Global Partner Program as a Most Valuable Partner. As the first partner to be engaged at this elite level, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young will develop a dedicated practice focused on the delivery of MarketSet-based solutions. 

As part of the SAPMarkets Global Partner Program, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and SAPMarkets will engage in joint marketing, business development and solution delivery activities. In addition, two comprehensive SAPMarkets Centers of Excellence will be established in the United States and Europe to focus on solution demonstrations, client awareness and competency development. 

MarketSet creates opportunities for multiple businesses to collaborate with suppliers, partners and customers as closely as if they were a single entity.  The cost-effective solution provided by MarketSetreduces many of the risks associated with building a marketplace by integrating complex application interfaces and new technologies and software. 

"SAPMarkets is pleased to be working with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young to help bring private marketplaces to our customers," said Mayur Shah, president of SAPMarkets. "Through this agreement, our customers have access to a more complete, combined offering that leverages each company's strengths. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's expertise in B2B marketplace integration combined with the strength of the MarketSet solution will bring tremendous value to the market." 

"I am extremely excited about this global agreement because of the powerful solutions and value we will be able to provide to our clients," said Ken Morton, SAP service line leader, Americas, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. "This clearly positions Cap Gemini Ernst & Young as a leader in the MarketSet solution area."

"We are delighted to see Cap Gemini Ernst &Young, a world-class consulting firm, become a part of the SAPMarkets Global Partner Program," said Michael Heinrich, director of Business Development at SAPMarkets. "We will work together on specific projects to deliver the leading marketplace solution to benefit our joint customers."

"As the B2B marketplace industry continues to evolve, we see this agreement as an excellent opportunity to provide our clients with the latest B2B marketplace solutions," said Pravesh Mehra, B2B service line leader, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. "Successful companies need a steadfast solution to survive in today's volatile economy." 

Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and SAPMarkets have already combined forces to leverage e-marketplace opportunities. Working together they assisted in the formation of a rapid deployment of a B2B exchange - Enporion, a global supply chain e-marketplace for the energy industry. Founded by seven energy companies, Enporion has been in partnership with SAPMarkets and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young since its incorporation in August 2000. Enporion was one of the first North American implementations of the joint SAPMarkets and Commerce One MarketSet solution.

About Cap Gemini Ernst & Young

Cap Gemini Ernst & Young is one of the largest management and IT consulting firms in the world. The company offers management and IT consulting services, systems integration, and technology development, design and outsourcing capabilities on a global scale to help traditional businesses and "dot companies" continue to implement growth strategies and leverage technology in the new economy. The organization employs more than 59,000 people worldwide and reports global revenues of about 8.5 billion euros (2000 pro forma). More information about individual service lines, offices and research is available at www.cgey.com

About SAPMarkets

SAPMarkets is the exchange company of SAP (NYSE: SAP) and delivers solutions that automate business processes across boundaries. Based in Palo Alto, California, SAPMarkets currently enables over 1100 companies worldwide to use the Internet for greater agility, precision and profitability.  SAPMarkets can be found at http://www.sapmarkets.com.

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SAPMarkets Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAP AG. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of SAP management. Any statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views and assumptions of SAP, and all forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect future SAP financial results are discussed more fully in SAP filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the SAP Annual Report on Form 20-F for 1999 filed with the SEC on April 7, 2000. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Copyright © 2001 SAP AG
SAP is a trademark of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries.
MarketSet is a joint trademark of SAPMarkets, Inc. and Commerce One, Inc.
Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.