Mavericks8020: SAP NetWeaver Portal : Enterprise Portal for Integration

An enterprise portal, also known as an enterprise information portal (EIP) or corporate portal, is a framework for integrating information, people and processes across organizational boundaries. It provides a secure unified access point, often in the form of a web-based user interface and is designed to aggregate and personalize information through application-specific portlets. One hallmark of enterprise portals is the de-centralized content contribution and content management, which keeps the information always updated.

The enterprise portal for SAP is known as the SAP NetWeaver portal. Before we get to that, it’s important to know what exactly is the SAP NetWeaver 7.0.

SAP NetWeaver is SAP’s integrated technology platform and is the technical foundation for all SAP applications after the SAP Business Suite. Features of it are as under:

It has been marketed as a service–oriented application and integration platform that includes both application and technology. Industry analysts refer to this type of integrated platform offering as an "applistructure" (applications + infrastructure).
It provides the development and runtime environment for SAP applications and can be used for custom development and integration with other applications and systems. It, thus, helps in creating flexible enterprise architecture.
The SAP NetWeaver has been built on open standards to ensure future interoperability and broad integration.

SAP NetWeaver is part of SAP's plan to transition to a more open, service-oriented architecture and to deliver the technical foundation of its applications on a single, integrated platform and common release cycle.

The portal that is used for building up the SAP NetWeaver is called as the SAP NetWeaver Portal. With only a Web Browser, users can begin work once they have been authenticated in the portal which offers a single point of access to SAP and non-SAP information sources, enterprise applications, information repositories, databases and services - all integrated into a single user portal experience.
The NetWeaver Portal also provides the tools to manage this knowledge, to analyze and interrelate it, and to share and collaborate. With its coherent interface, role-based content, and personalization features, the portal enables you to focus exclusively on data relevant to your daily decision-making processes.

References:
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/nw-portalandcollaboration;jsessionid=(J2EE3417700)ID0883249250DB00297482944431434420End