Press Releases

BERLIN, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and Cisco today announced the availability of a composite application that will help organizations proactively enforce data privacy across the business network. The solution is designed to help support continuous, demonstrable compliance with data privacy policies and to minimize risks. By bringing together SAP(R) solutions for governance, risk, and compliance (SAP solutions for GRC) with Cisco(R) intelligent network services, the Data Privacy composite application by SAP and Cisco allows businesses to enforce real-time global and local data privacy policies throughout the organization. This composite application expands SAP solutions for GRC, providing customers with a unique solution for improved visibility, control and responsiveness across the enterprise, while lowering the total cost of ownership by using existing application and infrastructure investments. The announcement was made at SAP(R) TechEd 2008, being held in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 14-16.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a)

"By proactively enforcing data privacy across our business network, the SAP and Cisco collaboration allows organizations like ours to align business needs and IT processes with data privacy solutions that span from applications to the network," said Steve Papa, CEO, Endeca. "As a leading provider of search and information access software transforming the way organizations access and leverage information for competitive advantage, it is critical that we ensure the security of our intellectual property assets. With the joint solution from SAP and Cisco, we can rest assured knowing our data is protected."

With more companies becoming part of global business networks and operating in an extended enterprise, sensitive business and personal information can be exchanged across borders on a daily basis. Enforcing data privacy has thus become increasingly business-critical. In addition, new regulatory requirements such as safe-harbor laws, privacy, finance, intellectual property and identity theft legislation are forcing companies to rapidly adopt more effective data privacy strategies and technologies.

According to "The collaboration advantage," a recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by SAP, "The biggest challenge in collaborating with business partners is building trust. One-half of all respondents say that trusting corporate partners enough to share information is the toughest aspect of a new business relationship, and 64% of executives agree that strengthening personal relationships is essential in establishing trust with their business partners. The lack of trust is a particularly thorny issue in the area of information technology (IT): less than 20% of respondents are prepared to share security systems, process technology or software applications."

"Companies worldwide will benefit from a solution that provides guidance and enforcement to help prevent data breaches and protect sensitive information," Michael Rasmussen, president and business research analyst, Corporate Integrity LLC. "With increasing data privacy regulations globally, customers require a solution that provides them with the controls they need to ensure consistent compliance both across all applications and also their extended business network."

The composite application from SAP and Cisco provides customers with data- aware and policy-aware integrated network services, allowing them to more efficiently ensure that any data -- whether in use by applications or transmitted throughout the corporate network -- is compliant with established data privacy policies. Rather than deploying point solutions within disparate applications, the innovative approach pioneered by Cisco and SAP allows customers to create global and local privacy controls and enforce them at the network level. This allows for the central management of compliance and security with data privacy policies across the networks' geographies, applications and systems. The solution also encompasses policy orchestration capabilities from Cisco networking devices in concert with Cisco Unified Communications solutions to help enable real-time collaboration and communication about high-severity data privacy violations.

The Data Privacy composite application illustrates SAP and Cisco's shared commitment to enable business network transformation by helping customers align IT processes with business needs. As customers transform and expand their business networks, they can take advantage of decentralized, increasingly global organizations; the joint solution helps companies move toward this more flexible model while better managing associated data risks.

Cisco and SAP are also collaborating with Deloitte member firms on multiple initiatives to incorporate leading practices that can help clients create a roadmap to achieve their compliance goals.

"Companies are looking to bring business and IT closer together to streamline processes and increase the effectiveness of compliance controls," says Brian Parker, a principal with Deloitte & Touche LLP. "By driving compliance further into the network, users can continue doing their work in business applications uninterrupted while IT centrally deploys and manages many security controls. This approach to data privacy can help to safeguard customers' data regardless of where it resides in the enterprise."

SAP solutions for GRC are part of Business Objects, an SAP company, and, combined with the Business Objects enterprise performance management and business intelligence solutions, deliver a comprehensive portfolio for business performance optimization. This latest addition to SAP solutions for GRC will empower business users with the freedom to access trustworthy data and utilize it to improve business effectiveness, while ensuring that controls are in place to maintain compliance.

"This joint development from Cisco and SAP is unique in the marketplace and strategic for both companies, as our enterprise customers already enjoy positive synergies between SAP business applications and Cisco communications and networking infrastructure," said Bill Ruh, vice president of Advanced Services, Cisco. "This is the first of several anticipated solutions to combine the business intelligence of the application layer and the transactional intelligence of the network layer, helping our mutual customers manage risk more effectively and achieve continuous compliance, security and operational maturity."

"SAP has broken new boundaries for customers with its vision and solutions that enable a unified GRC strategy across the enterprise," said Narina Sippy, senior vice president, Governance, Risk and Compliance, SAP. "By working with Cisco, the leader in communications and networking, we can now merge this approach from the application layer through to the network level, providing companies with an innovative way to drive integrated GRC strategies that minimize risks and ensure compliance."

SAP(R) TechEd 2008 in Las Vegas, Berlin, Shanghai and Bangalore

More than 16,000 SAP customers, partners and technical experts are convening at SAP(R) TechEd 2008 to learn how to transform existing business processes and IT landscapes and take advantage of the power and flexibility of service-oriented architecture. Celebrating its 12th anniversary, SAP's largest ecosystem education event of the year offers more than 1,000 hours of lecture- driven and hands-on sessions. SAP TechEd 2008 was held in Las Vegas on September 8-12, and is being held in Berlin on October 14-16, Shanghai on November 5-6 and Bangalore on November 12-14. For more information, please visit http://www.sapteched.com.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco, (Nasdaq: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With approximately 75,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of Business Objects) in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol "SAP." (For more information, visit http://www.sap.com)

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Copyright (C) 2008 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serve informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.

     For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:
     Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
     United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

     For more information, press only:
     Scott Behles, SAP, +1 (917) 494-2009, scott.behles@sap.com, EDT
     Hilmar Schepp, +49 160-889-6531, hilmar.schepp@sap.com, CET
     SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT;
      press@sap.com
     Janina Buchholz, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (415) 591-4081,
      janina.buchholz@bm.com, PDT
     Pamela Ferrill, Cisco, +1 (408) 527-9076,  pamfe@cisco.com, PDT

To speak with press contacts on site during SAP TechEd 2008 Berlin (from October 14 to 16), please dial the SAP press room at +49 (6227) 7-74069.

SOURCE SAP AG

CORONA DEL MAR, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- An article in this month's official newsletter of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) reads:

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081014/LATU011)

" ... Office-based anesthesia (OBA) requires a different approach than that used in a hospital and an ambulatory surgicenter: not all anesthesia providers have the skill, knowledge base or personality to deal with this environment." -- Rebecca Twersky, MD

To this, Homer Simpson would have responded. "Doh."

More than a decade ago, the ASA held quite a different position. There were no lectures given at the annual meetings specific to office-based anesthesia and most definitely no space devoted to OBA in the ASA Newsletter. They were in adamant denial about OBA's very existence.

Why, one might ask?

When asked if he believed there was a difference between anesthesia given in a surgicenter compared with that given in an office-based setting, in 1995, noted anesthesiologist, Paul F. White PhD, MD, stated, "If it's not done in the hospital isn't it all ambulatory?"

Staggered by this naive response from White, one of anesthesiology's most prominent thinkers, Dr. Barry Friedberg was inspired to create the Society for Office Anesthesiologists (SOFA) in 1996. Independent of Friedberg's effort in California, Marc Koch, MD, in New York, created the Office Anesthesia Society (OASIS), and Charles Laurito, MD in Chicago, created the Society for Office Based Anesthesia (SOBA). The societies, which merged in 1998, were all non-profit, educational societies created in response to the need to recognize the difference in the office-based environment. Clearly, OBA was a nascent national movement. Although the ASA recognized SOBA, they were very slow to appreciate its significance for patient safety.

Another wake-up call came in 2004 when Olivia Goldsmith, author of The First Wives' Club, died as a result of anesthesia while attempting to have a chin lift at Lenox Hill hospital in Manhattan. One month later another patient also died from anesthesia while attempting to have liposuction of her neck.

Cambridge University Press editor, Marc Strauss, asked why the anesthesiologists hadn't read 'the book.' He quickly discovered that there was no textbook concerning anesthesia for cosmetic surgery. Strauss subsequently tagged Friedberg for the task of producing such a textbook.

When informed he had been selected first of the then 40,000 anesthesiologists in the US, Friedberg asked 'Why me?' He was told that he was the only one doing anything different for cosmetic surgery anesthesia and writing about it.

In April 2007, Cambridge University Press published Friedberg's Anesthesia in Cosmetic Surgery. The book has received positive reviews by the Journal of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and Dermatologic Surgery.

A Google search for 'office based anesthesia' lists Dr. Friedberg's web site as #6 & 10 (non-sponsored) of 254,000 sites. A similar Yahoo search lists this web site as #9 & 10 (non-sponsored) of 3,820,000 sites. More information

about patient safety in cosmetic surgery anesthesia can be found at http://www.drfriedberg.com.

SOURCE CosmeticSurgeryAnesthesia.com

NAPA, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/14/08 -- With October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month upon us, Bunco clubs, supper clubs, soup nights, book clubs and other parties are taking on a similar theme -- pink -- showing support for breast cancer awareness and finding a cure for a disease that takes the lives of approximately 40,000 women annually.

"We host a Bunco night with 12-16 girls monthly, and each time we'll have a theme," says Sherri Rowton of Opelika, Alabama. "This month, we thought it would be appropriate to host a 'pink' party to show support for the people we know who have been affected by breast cancer," says Rowton.

In addition to a pink ribbon theme, many of these parties will have something else in common -- Pink Ribbon Wines. The Pink Ribbon Wines label, featuring a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, makes a donation to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for each bottle sold. The label has become a staple among pink themed parties this year.

"We get so wrapped up in our day to day responsibilities as wives and moms that this is 'me' time we look forward to every month. It's nice to get together with friends and enjoy a good glass of wine to relax and de-stress. We look at it as taking care of ourselves so we can do a better job of taking care of our families," says Rowton.

According to Bill Wade of Wade/Kerr Wine Company, people are spending more time at home to cut down on expenses. "Wine is still an affordable luxury, and we continue to see strong sales, both online and at the retail level. The Pink Ribbon Wines label is a great collection, at a great price, supporting a great cause," says Wade. "This is not just a special occasion collection, but can be enjoyed as an everyday wine."

On October 30, Pink Ribbon Wines is promoting its nationwide 'Toast to the Cure,' an opportunity for breast cancer survivors, advocates, friends, family members and loved ones to raise their glasses in a 'Toast to the Cure.'

To order Pink Ribbon Wines, send a wine gift package, or post your very own 'Toast to the Cure' via our blog, visit www.pinkribbonwines.com.

Photography, video and layout-ready article available upon request.

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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The law firm of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. of Chicago, IL. today announced thousands of Mexican farm and railroad laborers may soon be collecting monies withheld from their paychecks for work they performed in the United States of America during World War II as a result of a settlement of a class action lawsuit which was given preliminary approval by a federal court Friday, October 10, 2008.

The settlement was reached between the Mexican government and a group of U.S. lawyers representing Mexican workers -- known as braceros (manual laborers) -- who came to the U.S. during World War II to work in agricultural and railroad jobs pursuant to a series of international treaties between the U.S. and Mexican governments. It provides for payments to braceros or their surviving family members who reside in the U.S. and can provide original documents to show that they (or a deceased parent or spouse) worked as a bracero from January 1, 1942 through December 31, 1946. All claims must be presented in person to a Mexican Consulate office or the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. by December 23, 2008.

According to the class action suit braceros and their families complained that not only were they made to do back-breaking labor under abysmal conditions, but for 60-plus years have been deprived of 10 percent of their wages by the Mexican government. The wages were set aside pursuant to the terms of international agreements in order to provide for guaranteed savings accounts for the workers but were never paid to them.

"These hard working individuals came to the U.S. to help our country during a time of war. They played by the rules and did all that was asked of them, and in return they were abused and exploited," said Matthew Piers, a partner of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, one of several law firms around the country involved in the suit to have braceros gain access to their earned savings funds. "The settlement represents a significant measure of justice for the braceros and their families, who have been owed these monies for over half a century," added Piers.

Over a quarter million Mexican agricultural and railroad workers entered into braceros employment contracts to work in the U.S. between 1942-1946, and had 10 percent of their wages withheld by U.S. employers, which were then forwarded (via the Wells Fargo Bank and Union Trust Company of San (National Bank of Agricultural Credit) and were to be paid to braceros upon their return to Mexico.

The lawsuit alleges those funds were then never paid to the braceros, but instead were misappropriated by the Mexican government. Under the settlement, the Mexican government will provide a payment to braceros, or their surviving spouses or children, in the amount of approximately $3,500 (USD).

A growing number of national and regional Latino community-based organizations are involved in this effort to disseminate information to their respective constituents on how braceros and/or their surviving family members can file claims for the funds. Among them are the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Farmworker Justice, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Impremedia Publications, National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), Texas Migrant Council (TMC), and Univision Communications.

For more information or assistance in filling out and delivering the application claim forms, please visit the Caso Bracero web site at www.casobracero.com, call the toll-free Caso Bracero Hotline at 1-877-439-9359, or send a letter to Caso Bracero, P.O. Box 641610, Chicago, Illinois, 60664-1610. All interested persons are urged to act quickly, since the deadline for delivery of application forms to Mexican government offices in the United States is December 23, 2008.

Source: Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

With billowing smoke and shimmering stage lights, Stage Kit for Rock Band will soon help wannabe rockers look more like the real thing.

The Stage Kit, designed and developed by Performance Designed Products (PDP), will hit store shelves in October, closely following the recent release of Rock Band 2 for Xbox 360. Both should be popular choices this holiday season.

The Stage Kit creates a light-and-smoke effect that is synchronized to the music and will help would-be rockers in living rooms look the part of rock stars on stage. The accessory is the latest in the push to make the video game experience more real.

"If you're playing the part of a rock star, you should have the tools available to you to make it look real -- that's PDP's philosophy," said John Moore, vice president of marketing for California-based PDP. "Whether it's family members or friends playing together, the Stage Kit helps them look like real rock stars."

    IGN.com gave the Stage Kit an overall rating of 9.0 out of 10.

"Rock Band players that fall somewhere between mildly enthusiastic and hardcore fans will find that the Rock Band Stage Kit add an exciting dynamic to the game," said Scott Lowe from IGN.com.

To unveil the Stage Kit, PDP turned to one of the fastest rising bands out of Boston, Bang Camaro. After landing a song in Rock Band, the four-piece band, with their legion of singers, have taken the country by storm, including kicking off this year's Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. More information on the band can be found at www.BangCamaro.com.

The Stage Kit will be available on October 26 with a suggested retail price of $99 and will be compatible with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 for the Xbox 360.

Performance Designed Products LLC, a Patriarch Partners company, is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing products for all major video game platforms including the PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, GameCube, Nintendo DS, XBOX 360, and XBOX. The company has been supplying video game accessories to the U.S. market for more than a decade. PDP sells products under the Pelican and Score brands with sales in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe. For more information on PDP, visit www.pdp.com.

Patriarch Partners LLC is a private equity investment firm with offices in New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Dallas, Texas. Funds affiliated with Patriarch manage assets in excess of $6 billion and include majority and minority ownership positions in more than 70 companies. Founded by Lynn Tilton in 2000, Patriarch provides innovative financial solutions, strategic direction and operational expertise to its portfolio companies.

(C) 2008 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., an MTV Networks company. Rock Band and Rock Band 2 developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc All other marks are the property of their respective owners. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Performance Designed Products