SAP AG announced that it will work closely with Microsoft Corp. to develop new content specifications for key e-commerce functionality. The collaboration will focus on developing new XML specifications for the SAP Business Framework and Microsoft’s BizTalk framework. The BizTalk framework will provide the foundation for SAP and Microsoft to help accelerate semantic interoperability — a common business language — by providing schemas for catalog and business document interchange between SAP and Microsoft applications. The interchange will be based on the SAP Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI) and the Microsoft COM infrastructure areas, extended by tight integration into the Microsoft BizTalk Server. Both companies will initially focus on the integration of buy- and sell-side business processes and will define XML schemas for catalog and business document interchange between SAP and Microsoft applications within the next six months. The specification that is created will be used to integrate the SAP Business-to-Business Procurement solution and the Microsoft Commerce Server. The newly created XML specification will provide streamlined, accelerated and easy-to-use business processes and eliminate current system boundaries, help companies create more online business, and increase the opportunity to communicate and cooperate with other companies. www.sap.com