VitalSpring Technologies on Tuesday said SAP AG has agreed to promote VitalSpring's health benefits management software to companies using SAP's enterprise resource planning system.

The VitalSpring software links information from MySAP ERP with external systems related to medical and pharmacy claims and other costs. As a result, human resource, benefits and finance executives gain access to performance metrics linking healthcare cost, utilization and risk to overall health benefits strategy.

Under the agreement, SAP, based in Germany, and VitalSpring, headquartered in McLean, Va., will jointly promote to SAP customers and prospects the VitalSpring benefits software. Integration of the companies' products is through SAP's NetWeaver platform.

"Together, SAP and VitalSpring are delivering the first integrated analytical platform specifically designed to provide employers improved visibility into healthcare processes, enabling them to better control the spiraling cost of coverage," Mark Lange, national vice president of mySAP ERP in SAP America Inc., said in a statement.