NW Natural Selects SAP and Microsoft to Integrate Information
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Natural Gas Utility to Consolidate IT Operations on a Single Platform
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 12 / / -- As continuing evidence of its market leadership in the utilities industry, SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) today announced that NW Natural, a 148-year-old natural gas distribution company serving 641,000 residential, business and industrial customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington, has selected SAP for Utilities running Microsoft SQL Server to drive system-wide information integration by consolidating widely dispersed operating systems onto a single, integrated platform. NW Natural will use the SAP solution portfolio to implement more streamlined processes that will provide the foundation for integrated information access across the enterprise.
In the first phase of its SAP rollout, NW Natural expects to lower integration costs by replacing its previous combination of separate third- party financial, procurement and budgeting solutions in favor of a fully integrated SAP software-based business process. The move will grant management more rapid access to business decision information and enable users to develop new information through enhanced reporting and analysis tools.
As a public company subject to Sarbanes-Oxley Act reporting and compliance mandates, NW Natural will also deploy SAP GRC Access Control to reduce the cost and time of collecting information for audits, duplication of work, employee collaboration and security. To facilitate a smooth and rapid transition to SAP for end users, NW Natural will leverage Duet(TM) software from SAP and Microsoft to provide all users with access to the newly deployed applications from a familiar Microsoft Office interface.
"SAP is proud to support NW Natural with our industry-leading technology solutions as the company creates business process efficiencies and becomes better positioned to handle the capital work associated with growth," said Chris Camino, senior vice president and general manager, Utilities, SAP Americas. "Like so many of our clients choosing to replace legacy and best-of-breed applications, NW Natural provides further proof that SAP remains the distinguished leader in the utilities industry, while continuing to offer the platform of choice to utilities of all sizes worldwide."
About SAP for Utilities
The SAP(R) for Utilities solution portfolio employs over 35 years of industry experience to deliver end-to-end processes through all vital utilities-specific business domains, market roles and supply services. The solution portfolio drives efficiencies and provides more flexibility to transforming utilities markets by using enterprise SOA and SAP NetWeaver. More than 1,150 utilities in over 70 countries run solutions from SAP in areas including customer relationship and billing, extending business processes into advanced metering infrastructures, market communication, technical asset management for generation and T&D, sourcing and procurement, enterprise management, as well as midsize municipal utility and water services. (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/industries/utilities/)
About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software*. More than 41,200 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.
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