SAP EMBRACES RIM'S PLAYBOOK

SAP, the world's leading maker of enterprise resource management, or ERP, software that many companies use to run basic functions such as finance, human resources and manufacturing is readying its software to run on RIM's Playbook tablet. According to Oliver Bussmann, CIO of SAP, "SAP is definitely supporting the RIM Playbook," and "All of the ERP apps will come out on the Playbook,".

RIM lags well behind Apple and Android in the number of apps available on its operating system. But the company is betting a more modest but high quality menu of business apps could help it catch up in the tablet market, the next big battleground in mobile computing. Although RIM once dominated the smartphone market, the Waterloo, Ontario, firm is coming late to the tablet game.
Apple's iPad leads the tablet market. As of the end of September, six months after launching the device, Apple had sold 7.5 million iPads. In addition, Apple said that over 65% of the Fortune 100 is already deploying or piloting its tablet. This fall, the first Android-based tablet, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Tab, began rolling out.
"The penetration of the RIM Playbook will depend upon the apps," said Mr. Bussmann. "Apple has more enterprise apps ready. That is an advantage."

A 7-inch tablet computer, the Playbook will run on software built by QNX Software Systems, a Research in Motion unit that makes software used to run everything from cars to nuclear reactors. Research in Motion bought QNX earlier this year, and has been working to adapt the software for mobile phones.

Although it won't be available in North America until the first quarter of 2010, the PlayBook is starting to attract interest from some big companies. Executives at TD Bank Financial Group and Sun Life Financial Inc. said they plan to place orders for the tablet computer. Others, including the operator of Denver's airport and a school district in Austin, Texas, say they are evaluating uses for the tablet. [WSJ]