Bringing together resources from two of the world’s largest IT companies, HP announced that it will collaborate with SAP AG on research aimed at improving the flexibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of IT systems for businesses of all sizes.

HP Labs and SAP Research, the central research facilities for the two companies respectively, will work together on technologies designed to exploit synergies between HP’s Adaptive Infrastructure management technologies and SAP’s Enterprise service-oriented architecture (Enterprise SOA).

The Adaptive SAP project could help customers use hardware and software when and where they need it rather than gearing systems to run full force at all times. The companies aim to develop a model for choreographing IT systems so that hardware and software continually adapt to the varying daily workloads and changing business process needs of enterprises.

“This research agreement enhances our longstanding relationship with SAP,” said Dick Lampman, HP senior vice president, research, and director, HP Labs. “The collaboration will help create a future generation of highly agile and adaptable solutions for customers.”

The global research will initially include HP Labs teams in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as SAP Research in Germany, Northern Ireland and Australia.

With more than 50,000 installations for mutual customers, HP and SAP have been collaborating for 17 years on complementary hardware and software solutions. Nearly half of all SAP software installations worldwide are powered by HP technology.