WALLDORF, Germany---May 20, 2002--SAP AG today announced that VNU Business Media, the business-to-business publishing subsidiary of VNU, has successfully implemented the innovative cross-media advertising management capability of mySAP Media. The addition of this industry-specific functionality is the most recent phase of VNU's transition to the mySAP.com e-business platform. On April 1, 2002, VNU Business Media, assisted by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, went live with the advertising management functionality of mySAP Media. The mySAP Media solution will enable VNU Business Media to integrate financial and human resource systems with advertising-management capabilities, resulting in the successful automation of key business processes. With mySAP Media Advertising Management, VNU Business Media will have the ability to automate all processes involved in the selling, booking, and billing of advertisements in all media, including magazines and the Web. The potential to link advertising management functionality with VNU Business Media's Web-based processes, call centers, and technical systems will enable VNU Business Media to improve their business relationships with advertisers, media agencies, and other media companies. In addition, mySAP Media provides business intelligence for reporting and analysis that will enable employees to access company data from any source at any time, facilitating rapid and knowledgeable decision support in all areas of the business. "At VNU Business Media, we focus on customer-centric solutions utilizing innovation and creativity. SAP is an ideal partner for us because it demonstrates a commitment to comprehensive technology solutions," said Mike Marchesano, president and CEO of VNU Business Media. He adds, "The industry-specific mySAP Media will help us better manage our business by tracking the wealth of information we have to manage in our industry and by enabling us to have complete and up-to-the-minute data pulled from multiple sources quickly and easily." The advertising management functionality is one phase of what has been a very successful implementation at VNU, an SAP customer since 1999. The first phases began with mySAP Financials and mySAP Human Resources (mySAP HR). SAP has provided VNU with comprehensive and fully integrated software for a streamlined approach in the media industry. VNU's implementation of mySAP Financials and mySAP HR enables company executives to make informed strategic business decisions, optimize their company's investment in employees, and integrate the business on an advanced technology platform. With mySAP HR, VNU supports its human capital management strategies, including personnel management, legal reporting, payroll, time management, and record keeping -- all processes that improve the business performance and financial agility of the company. "SAP's global media industry expertise enables us to provide excellent support to VNU Business Media for its worldwide technology integration project," said Peter J. Kirschbauer, senior vice president, Service Industries, SAP AG. "We have developed world-class solutions for the media industry by working closely with media companies around the world to support their unique business needs." mySAP Media is a comprehensive solution that supports business management and customer-care processes and includes core business-process functionality for financials, human resource management, and logistics, in addition to media industry-specific functions such as advertising management, media sales and distribution, intellectual properties management, and product lifecycle management. mySAP Media integrates technical systems (e.g., prepress or finishing systems) into business processes through standard open interfaces to third-party systems. mySAP Media is geared to the needs of customers in a broad range of media companies: multinational publishers of newspapers, books, magazines, and other publications; entertainment businesses, including film studios and music and production companies; broadcasting (radio, TV, cable); online services companies; advertising agencies, news and information services; and commercial printing.