German business software vendor SAP is extending its Safe Passage maintenance and migration program to all companies in the U.S. running PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards (JDE) applications, SAP said Monday.

The Safe Passage program, launched in January, initially targeted SAP customers who also ran applications from either or both of these software vendors. Around 2,000 SAP customers fit into this target group. There is no word if the program will run in Australia.

More than 6,500 companies currently use PeopleSoft and JDE software products, according to SAP.

PeopleSoft, which acquired J.D. Edwards & Co. in 2003, was purchased one year later by Oracle for US$10.3 billion. SAP has been aggressively courting PeopleSoft and JDE customers ever since Oracle announced its acquisition plans.

To provide the necessary maintenance and support services for PeopleSoft and JDE applications, SAP acquired TomorrowNow. The Bryan, Texas, company is specialized in providing third-party maintenance and support for users of both of these product lines.

Under the Safe Passage program, SAP charges customers a maintenance fee of 17 percent of the original purchase price of their PeopleSoft and JDE software licenses.

Customers choosing to migrate to mySAP ERP will receive a 75 percent trade-in credit on their investment in PeopleSoft and/or JDE software products. For a 17 percent maintenance fee based on the value of the mySAP ERP license, they receive maintenance and support services not only for the ERP application and NetWeaver but also for their PeopleSoft and JDE products during the migration phase.

The offer is similar to the one extended to users of SAP's earlier ERP (enterprise resource planning) offering, R/3. They are also offered a 75 percent trade-in credit on their R/3 investment toward their purchase of a mySAP ERP software license and a 17 percent maintenance fee based on the volume of this purchase.

The maintenance packages includes bug fixes as well as support with legal and compliance requirements.