In line with its acquisition strategy to fill technology gaps, SAP has purchased two privately held Scandinavian software companies.

SAP acquired identity management software firms MaXware and Wicom Communications, which designs call-center applications based on IP technology, the German business software maker announced Monday in Vienna at its Sapphire customer event.

Financial details were not disclosed.

SAP intends to integrate MaXware's identity management features into its NetWeaver integration middleware in a move to allow businesses to centralize identity management and increase security across their various processes.

MaXware, which is based in Trondheim, Norway, has more than 300 customers worldwide in a range of industries, including manufacturing and financial services.

With Wicom's IP-based contact center application, SAP aims to help businesses improve their customer service operations, connecting services such as marketing, finance and sales, through a variety of channels including e-mail, short-message service and mobile phones. The Wicom application offers standard Web service-based integration to SAP's CRM software.

Wicom, in Espoo, Finland, has about 200 contact centers using its software.

In addition to the acquisitions, SAP announced an agreement to collaborate with SunGard Data Systems in Wayne, Pa. One of their first projects will be the joint development of an asset liability management application.

Sapphire runs through Wednesday.