SAP steps up support for Microsoft .NET and Azure

Microsoft has become the latest company to pledge support for SAP's enterprise software platforms.

The companies announced a deal on Thursday which will add support for the SAP software to Microsoft's .NET developer and Azure cloud platforms.

Under the deal, Microsoft will add integration features into the Visual Studio platform to improve .NET support for SAP applications.

Additionally, the companies will extend the NetWeaver Gateway developer tool to Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform, and extend SAP support to Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualisation platform and the Microsoft System Center.

"Working together with SAP, our aim is to knock down any walls that inhibit the richness and sophistication of our two combined platforms," said Ted Kummert, senior vice president of the business platform division at Microsoft's Server and Tools unit.

"Customers and developers will have an open and more diverse field on which to build their IT infrastructures."

The deal ads Microsoft to a growing list of software developers and service providers with which SAP has announced partnerships this week at the Sapphire Now conference.

Among the other deals are a mobile integration project with SAP subsidiary Sybase and an agreement with Amazon to offer SAP applications through the Amazon Web Services cloud computing platform.

SAP has also been looking to extend its own cloud offerings through the continued development of its BusinessByDesign platform.