Leading National Media Company Taps the SAP® for Media Solution Portfolio

Leading National Media Company Taps the SAP® for Media Solution Portfolio and SAP NetWeaver® to Consolidate Internal Systems on a Single Technology Platform


New York - March 29, 2006 - SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced that The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company and publisher of The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The International Herald Tribune (IHT), has selected applications from mySAP™ Business Suite and the SAP® for Media solution portfolio to support its advertising management, home delivery and single copy circulation systems. The company also selected the SAP NetWeaver® platform to standardize its reporting requirements. This strategic project will displace legacy systems and allow the company to reduce costs and increase revenue by supporting cross- and up-selling advertising and subscription opportunities.

“The New York Times Company chose SAP solutions as part of an overall corporate mandate to systematically improve efficiency,” said David Thurm, senior vice president and CIO, The New York Times Company. “SAP has a strong understanding of the challenges facing the newspaper industry and offers solutions that support a wide variety of our needs, providing support for ad sales and circulation operations, as well as business intelligence that helps us make the right choices to position our company for future growth.”

Increasing Revenues: Advertising and Circulation
The advertising management application from the SAP for Media solution portfolio will allow The New York Times Company to take bookings for advertisements across different newspapers and media, from print to digital, and includes display ads, inserts and online advertising. It will also enable the company to manage orders and contractual terms and conditions, handle invoicing and settlement and generate in-depth reports on all activities.

The circulation management capability of SAP for Media integrates sales and distribution processes with ad sales functions, as well as with other SAP and third-party solutions. This capability helps publishers increase their circulation figures by streamlining sales and distribution processes by integrating the entire workflow—from initial customer contact through order processing, service, billing and settlement.

“As competition increases, media companies are focused on generating new business while maintaining their existing subscription and advertising base,” said Bill McDermott, president and CEO, SAP Americas. “With the selection of SAP, The New York Times Company will benefit from solutions that are robust, scalable and strategically viable—allowing the company to focus on keeping pace with changing market demands.”