SAP has released a new version of Business One application, which includes new innovations and advancements in the areas of functionality, performance and user experience that will improve customers’ usability and productivity.

The company said that the version 8.8 offers enhanced business network connectivity that enables customers’ to integrate their business partners in the ecosystems, local subsidiaries or branch offices with headquarters running the enterprise resource planning (ERP) application SAP ERP. It includes an upgrade wizard that reduces customer’s downtime.

According to SAP, the new version includes, universal code base for 40 countries that supports different time zones and ensures compliance with standard legal requirements; data archiving; DATEV interface for payroll accounting in Germany; integration to web services such as eShops, based on country availability; and a remote support platform for SAP Business One, with embedded product life-cycle support.

Robert Viehmann, head of Business One development worldwide at SAP, said: “With SAP Business One 8.8, we enter into a new era of business software for small enterprises. Today, business software allows company owners and managers to accelerate decision making based on true real time insight. Additionally, business software should be more consumable to provide ease of use for users living in today’s web world.”

SAP Business One 8.8 has been in ramp-up since August 2009 and is planned to be generally available at the end of April 2010.