SAP and Microsoft, partners since 2005’s Project Mendocino (now called Duet), are pushing further into healthcare. At the HIMSS 2008 Conference, currently underway in Orlando, FL, the two companies announced a refinement of their partnership aimed at creating joint products for the healthcare market.

The announcement is a reminder that some SAP developers have much to gain from polishing their Microsoft skills. For example, SAP Enterprise Portal developers can pick up technical skills related to creating and customizing portal interoperability between the SAP Enterprise Portal and Microsoft SharePoint. NetWeaver specialists can learn how to establish stateful Web Services communications between NetWeaver and Microsoft .NET, or configure Web Services Security between .NET and NetWeaver.

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which the SAP-Microsoft partnership will create new opportunities for developers. The announcement at HIMSS 2008 indicates that Duet is serious about going after verticals, creating new marketplaces for developers, consultants, and others in the SAP ecosystem to sell their technical expertise.

If you think this is the right time for honing your joint SAP-Microsoft skills, or if you think Duet shouldn’t be on the radar of SAP developers, speak your mind in the comments box.

Demir Barlas
Site Editor