Software as a service is the new normal. IDC believes that by 2019, 40% of all software revenue will be on a subscription basis. Customers are embracing cloud because they recognize the traditional technology ownership model is inadequate for agility and because they appreciate financial flexibility.
This IDC study, commissioned by SAP, looks at partner managed cloud, an opportunity for solution providers to deliver SAP solutions by OpEx consumption model through a private hosted cloud. Via insights gained through in-depth conversations with partners currently offering managed cloud solutions, it provides a summary of the key benefits partners have experienced, and the major value propositions for their customers
The cloud migration services market was valued at USD 119.13 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 448.34 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 28.89% over the forecast period 2020 - 2025.
Software-Defined Storage Accelerates Storage Cost Reduction and Service-Level...DataCore Software
In this White Paper, IDC, a major global market intelligence firm assesses DataCore in the Software-Defined Storage (SDS) space.
DataCore is one of the leading providers of hardware independent storage virtualization software. Its customers are actively leveraging the benefits of software-defined storage in IT environments ranging from large datacenters to more modest computer rooms, thereby getting better use from pre-existing storage equipment.
This White Paper further discusses the emerging storage architecture of software-defined storage and how DataCore enables its customers to take advantage of it today.
Download this IDC White Paper to learn about:
- The four major forces that have led to a major transformation in changing the way we use IT to do our jobs and how datacenters need to adapt.
- Why companies are switching to SDS and the benefits, including significant reductions in cost, that they can expect upon adoption.
- An Overview of DataCore’s SDS solution and the key differentiators that make it well equipped to handle the next generation of storage challenges.
Value Journal, a monthly news journal from Redington Value Distribution, intends to update the channel on the latest vendor news and Redington Value’s Channel Initiatives.
Key stories from the January Edition:
•HPE To Acquire BlueData
•Symantec, Fortinet Partner To Deliver Comprehensive Cloud Security Service
•Embracing Consumptionbased IT - By Kunal Singh, Server, Storage and Networking Head, MEA, Redington Value
•Fujitsu To Provide End-To-End Enterprise Transformation Offering With AWS
•Pivot3 Delivers Policy-Based Security For Hybrid Cloud Solutions
•SonicWall Boosts EMEA Presence
•Ivanti Simplifies Endpoint Software Distribution With Ivanti Package Studio
•Avaya Introduces New Device As A Service Offering
•Nokia Warns On The Evolving Threat Of Malicious Software Targeting Iot Devices
•Cryptocurrency Mining Affected Millions Of Users In 2018: Kaspersky Lab
•Veritas Predictive Insights Uses Ai And Ml To Predict And Prevent Unplanned Service
The term hybrid IT or hybrid cloud is an approach which allows an enterprise to maintain a traditional or centralized approach to IT governance while experimenting with cloud computing.
The cloud migration services market was valued at USD 119.13 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 448.34 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 28.89% over the forecast period 2020 - 2025.
Software-Defined Storage Accelerates Storage Cost Reduction and Service-Level...DataCore Software
In this White Paper, IDC, a major global market intelligence firm assesses DataCore in the Software-Defined Storage (SDS) space.
DataCore is one of the leading providers of hardware independent storage virtualization software. Its customers are actively leveraging the benefits of software-defined storage in IT environments ranging from large datacenters to more modest computer rooms, thereby getting better use from pre-existing storage equipment.
This White Paper further discusses the emerging storage architecture of software-defined storage and how DataCore enables its customers to take advantage of it today.
Download this IDC White Paper to learn about:
- The four major forces that have led to a major transformation in changing the way we use IT to do our jobs and how datacenters need to adapt.
- Why companies are switching to SDS and the benefits, including significant reductions in cost, that they can expect upon adoption.
- An Overview of DataCore’s SDS solution and the key differentiators that make it well equipped to handle the next generation of storage challenges.
Value Journal, a monthly news journal from Redington Value Distribution, intends to update the channel on the latest vendor news and Redington Value’s Channel Initiatives.
Key stories from the January Edition:
•HPE To Acquire BlueData
•Symantec, Fortinet Partner To Deliver Comprehensive Cloud Security Service
•Embracing Consumptionbased IT - By Kunal Singh, Server, Storage and Networking Head, MEA, Redington Value
•Fujitsu To Provide End-To-End Enterprise Transformation Offering With AWS
•Pivot3 Delivers Policy-Based Security For Hybrid Cloud Solutions
•SonicWall Boosts EMEA Presence
•Ivanti Simplifies Endpoint Software Distribution With Ivanti Package Studio
•Avaya Introduces New Device As A Service Offering
•Nokia Warns On The Evolving Threat Of Malicious Software Targeting Iot Devices
•Cryptocurrency Mining Affected Millions Of Users In 2018: Kaspersky Lab
•Veritas Predictive Insights Uses Ai And Ml To Predict And Prevent Unplanned Service
The term hybrid IT or hybrid cloud is an approach which allows an enterprise to maintain a traditional or centralized approach to IT governance while experimenting with cloud computing.
Integra: Get Your Head in the Cloud (Infographic)Jessica Legg
Concepted, copywrote and creative directed the development of a cloud themed infographic as part of a larger campaign for Integra.
Summary: Picture a network of over 50M servers running at 200,000x the speed of a home Internet connection. The cloud lets you virtualize Infrastructure, Platforms, Software, etc., reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and increasing agility. Read Integra's infographic, "Get Your Head Into the Cloud," to learn why you should look to the skies.
The fast-emerging distributed-ledger technology known as blockchain holds great promise. Blockchain provides controlled, secure access to sensitive data enabling traditionally independent organizations to work together to streamline and integrate processes. Business leaders are still trying to figure out how to put the technology to work. Yet most agree: Blockchain can unlock the vast value trapped in their business operations.
While use of the cloud today is generally associated with the ability to reduce costs and improve efficiency, widespread adoption of this technology is projected to have a transformative effect on all businesses of all sizes.
Data Center of the Future: Designing a modernized, high performance computing...Capgemini
With cloud being hailed as the new black, customers are increasingly looking to easily leverage Hybrid Cloud and Hyper-Converged Architecture, without transformation in technology. At VMworld US 2019, Eric Killinger, Director, IT strategy, Capgemini NA, spoke about how Capgemini makes cloud run better by simplifying infrastructure for your existing landscape via a software-defined data center, supporting immediate OPEX savings, real-time data processing and cloud-based scalability and cost predictability, illustrating the joint success with VMware of such a rollout at Hydro One.
enterprise cloud computing adoption accelerated in 2016 and will do so again in 2017. are you ahead of your competitors or lagging behind the average enterprise? Infrastructure and operations (I&o) leaders must answer this question to chart their companies’ cloud futures. this report gathers important adoption metrics for public, private, and hybrid cloud and explores enterprise cloud priorities and policies to help you benchmark your progress against the broader market. use these benchmarks to inform your cloud strategic plan.
this is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and revises it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy. We’re updating it now to include new data from Forrester’s Business technographics surveys.
Accenture Cloud Platform: Control, Manage and Govern the Enterprise Cloudaccenture
The Accenture Cloud Platform is a multi-cloud management platform that enables organizations to manage all of their enterprise cloud
resources—public and private—and automate and accelerate solution delivery.
Optimizing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure through Interconnection Equinix
Robert Blackburn, Global Managing Director, Oracle Strategic Alliance at Equinix spoke at Oracle CloudWorld NYC on February 12, 2018 on how Oracle and Equinix empower organizations to transform their business by integrating hybrid and multicloud environments to increase operational efficiency, enhance system processes, improve customer experiences and grow revenues. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure FastConnect on the Equinix Cloud Exchange™ Fabric allows enterprises to optimize connection to the Oracle Cloud with flexible, on-demand, global interconnection—enabling applications, workloads and data to operate on-premises and in the public cloud over high-performance, private and scalable connections. This solution can be deployed as part of an Interconnection Oriented Architecture™ (IOA™) strategy on Platform Equinix™.
Today there is tremendous pressure on organizations to improve customer service and supply chain efficiency while reducing IT costs. Moving applications to the cloud is an attractive option and is receiving a lot of attention.
Many organizations hear a lot about the cloud and its value but are unsure of what it truly means. The Capgemini Cloud Readiness Assessment provides a roadmap to guide customers on their cloud journey and helps them answer the following questions:
• What is the value to the organization of migrating to the cloud?
• What is the cost and the timeline to move to the cloud?
• What is the organization’s specific migration path to the cloud model?
• Which best practices should the organization adopt?
Presented by Jon Lundstedt, Oracle Cloud Market Development Executive, Capgemini, at Oracle OpenWorld 2016.
You know what you have today, but you definitely do NOT know what will be available the day after tomorrow. So, do not let technology drive how you build your cloud environment. Go to the business and listen to their needs.
More: www.tieto.com/onecloud
A new era for the chemicals industry: Cloud computing changes the gameaccenture
80% of chemical company executives expect cloud to generate highest ROI among digital technologies. Find out how we make that happen and where we see the industry heading.
Equinix Big Data Platform and Cassandra - A view into the journeyPraveen Kumar
Story of building Big Data Platform in Equinix to cater a number of use cases. It explains journey and selection of Cassandra for NoSQL solution sitting in the heart of the platform. Storm , flume, AMQ, Drools, Solr technologies playing an important role in the platform. Platform processing large amounts of data in real-time.
2017 Towards Better Patient Outcomes and Staying Well: The Promise of Cloud C...accacloud
The healthcare industry is one of the most advanced technology users - within their domains. Anecdotal evidence has revealed that there is a wide range of capacity and capabilities in the healthcare industry with respect to patient management, especially when it comes to administrating large amounts of patient records and information. How has the healthcare industry pivoted towards using cloud technology to improve patient outcomes? This study documents a number of key case studies within Asia Pacific.
Cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model is gaining traction among businesses.The advent of more powerful, streamlined and cost-effective cloud-enabled services is fueling this migration process by giving organizations another infrastructure management alternative.
Integra: Get Your Head in the Cloud (Infographic)Jessica Legg
Concepted, copywrote and creative directed the development of a cloud themed infographic as part of a larger campaign for Integra.
Summary: Picture a network of over 50M servers running at 200,000x the speed of a home Internet connection. The cloud lets you virtualize Infrastructure, Platforms, Software, etc., reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and increasing agility. Read Integra's infographic, "Get Your Head Into the Cloud," to learn why you should look to the skies.
The fast-emerging distributed-ledger technology known as blockchain holds great promise. Blockchain provides controlled, secure access to sensitive data enabling traditionally independent organizations to work together to streamline and integrate processes. Business leaders are still trying to figure out how to put the technology to work. Yet most agree: Blockchain can unlock the vast value trapped in their business operations.
While use of the cloud today is generally associated with the ability to reduce costs and improve efficiency, widespread adoption of this technology is projected to have a transformative effect on all businesses of all sizes.
Data Center of the Future: Designing a modernized, high performance computing...Capgemini
With cloud being hailed as the new black, customers are increasingly looking to easily leverage Hybrid Cloud and Hyper-Converged Architecture, without transformation in technology. At VMworld US 2019, Eric Killinger, Director, IT strategy, Capgemini NA, spoke about how Capgemini makes cloud run better by simplifying infrastructure for your existing landscape via a software-defined data center, supporting immediate OPEX savings, real-time data processing and cloud-based scalability and cost predictability, illustrating the joint success with VMware of such a rollout at Hydro One.
enterprise cloud computing adoption accelerated in 2016 and will do so again in 2017. are you ahead of your competitors or lagging behind the average enterprise? Infrastructure and operations (I&o) leaders must answer this question to chart their companies’ cloud futures. this report gathers important adoption metrics for public, private, and hybrid cloud and explores enterprise cloud priorities and policies to help you benchmark your progress against the broader market. use these benchmarks to inform your cloud strategic plan.
this is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and revises it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy. We’re updating it now to include new data from Forrester’s Business technographics surveys.
Accenture Cloud Platform: Control, Manage and Govern the Enterprise Cloudaccenture
The Accenture Cloud Platform is a multi-cloud management platform that enables organizations to manage all of their enterprise cloud
resources—public and private—and automate and accelerate solution delivery.
Optimizing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure through Interconnection Equinix
Robert Blackburn, Global Managing Director, Oracle Strategic Alliance at Equinix spoke at Oracle CloudWorld NYC on February 12, 2018 on how Oracle and Equinix empower organizations to transform their business by integrating hybrid and multicloud environments to increase operational efficiency, enhance system processes, improve customer experiences and grow revenues. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure FastConnect on the Equinix Cloud Exchange™ Fabric allows enterprises to optimize connection to the Oracle Cloud with flexible, on-demand, global interconnection—enabling applications, workloads and data to operate on-premises and in the public cloud over high-performance, private and scalable connections. This solution can be deployed as part of an Interconnection Oriented Architecture™ (IOA™) strategy on Platform Equinix™.
Today there is tremendous pressure on organizations to improve customer service and supply chain efficiency while reducing IT costs. Moving applications to the cloud is an attractive option and is receiving a lot of attention.
Many organizations hear a lot about the cloud and its value but are unsure of what it truly means. The Capgemini Cloud Readiness Assessment provides a roadmap to guide customers on their cloud journey and helps them answer the following questions:
• What is the value to the organization of migrating to the cloud?
• What is the cost and the timeline to move to the cloud?
• What is the organization’s specific migration path to the cloud model?
• Which best practices should the organization adopt?
Presented by Jon Lundstedt, Oracle Cloud Market Development Executive, Capgemini, at Oracle OpenWorld 2016.
You know what you have today, but you definitely do NOT know what will be available the day after tomorrow. So, do not let technology drive how you build your cloud environment. Go to the business and listen to their needs.
More: www.tieto.com/onecloud
A new era for the chemicals industry: Cloud computing changes the gameaccenture
80% of chemical company executives expect cloud to generate highest ROI among digital technologies. Find out how we make that happen and where we see the industry heading.
Equinix Big Data Platform and Cassandra - A view into the journeyPraveen Kumar
Story of building Big Data Platform in Equinix to cater a number of use cases. It explains journey and selection of Cassandra for NoSQL solution sitting in the heart of the platform. Storm , flume, AMQ, Drools, Solr technologies playing an important role in the platform. Platform processing large amounts of data in real-time.
2017 Towards Better Patient Outcomes and Staying Well: The Promise of Cloud C...accacloud
The healthcare industry is one of the most advanced technology users - within their domains. Anecdotal evidence has revealed that there is a wide range of capacity and capabilities in the healthcare industry with respect to patient management, especially when it comes to administrating large amounts of patient records and information. How has the healthcare industry pivoted towards using cloud technology to improve patient outcomes? This study documents a number of key case studies within Asia Pacific.
Cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model is gaining traction among businesses.The advent of more powerful, streamlined and cost-effective cloud-enabled services is fueling this migration process by giving organizations another infrastructure management alternative.
"Empower Developers with HPE Machine Learning and Augmented Intelligence", Dr...Dataconomy Media
"Empower Developers with HPE Machine Learning and Augmented Intelligence", Dr. Abdourahmane Faye, Big Data SME Lead DACH at HPE
Watch more from Data Natives Berlin 2016 here: http://bit.ly/2fE1sEo
Visit the conference website to learn more: www.datanatives.io
Follow Data Natives:
https://www.facebook.com/DataNatives
https://twitter.com/DataNativesConf
Stay Connected to Data Natives by Email: Subscribe to our newsletter to get the news first about Data Natives 2017: http://bit.ly/1WMJAqS
About the Author:
Abdou Faye is Subject Matter Expert in Big Data, Predictive Analytics / Machine Learning and Business Intelligence, with more than 19 years of experience in that area in various leading and executive roles, both from a Technical, Architecture and Sales perspectives. He recently joins HPE coming from SAP, where he was leading the Predictive Analysis & Big Data CoE (Center Of Excellence) business since 2010 for DACH, CEE and CIS region, in charge of Business Development and Sales Support. Prior to SAP, he worked 4 Years at Microsoft as Senior BI & SQL-Server Consultant in Switzerland, after 10 years spent at Philip Morris (CH), Orange Telco (CH) and SEMA Group (FR). Abdou graduated from Paris 11 University in 2000, where he completed a PhD on Data Mining/Predictive Analytics, after completing a Master in Computer Science.
Horita, F. E. A., Hisatomi, M. I., Gaffo, F. H., Barros, R. M. Maturity Model and Lesson Learned for improve the Quality of Organizational Knowledge and Human Resources Management in Software Development. In: The 25th International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (SEKE), Boston, USA, 2013.
SAP TechED Las Vegas 2016- OEM Partnesr SAP HANA Platform Agenda Shivakumar Vishwanath
Discover SAP TechEd Las Vegas. Check out the premier SAP tech conference – created expressly for developers, engineers, and technologists. There’s a lot to choose from – we’ve put together an agenda that’s designed to meet your needs as an OEM Partner so you can tailor your experience
Solving the Automation Puzzle - how to select the right automation framework ...Ori Bendet
From open source to commercial tools - how we selected the right tool for our automation framework in several projects and products in HPE Software.
Selecting the right automation framework is hard. Today, there are so many possibilities. From open source solutions (Selenium Appium, etc.), to our own developed commercial tools (QTP, UFT, Mobile Center) What was the process that we do in order to select the right automation framework. Our approach was to 1st define our needs from such a framework and we ended up with a list of 10 must have requirements for such a framework and then went on to pick the right tool. We ended up with different frameworks for different projects with a wide combinations of open source (yes, we at HP use open source) to our own tools (UFT, LeanFT, etc.)
CA Technologies' Agile Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Solution – An E...Tasktop
*** See more on: http://tasktop.com/resources/videos ***
Presented by Alyson Poston - Sr. Advisor, Solution Strategy, CA Technologies, and Dave West - Chief Product Officer, Tasktop
Application Lifecycle Management is described as the application of business management to the practice of software delivery; unifying the practices of management, requirements development, test and release into an integrated lifecycle. Traditionally, outside of the mainframe, CA Technologies concentrated on the management discipline providing tools for the PMO, but with the introduction of CA Clarity Agile and CA Clarity Requirements and their OEM’d capabilities of Tasktop Dev and Tasktop Sync, CA Technologies now has a complete end-to-end story, that focuses on providing management oversight whilst allowing development, QA and release management to adopt the tools that make sense. This integrated approach enables customers to leverage their existing investment in CA Clarity whilst adopting an Agile ALM approach. In this talk, Dave West, Chief Product Officer at Tasktop and Alyson Poston, Sr. Director of Technical Sales at CA Technologies, will describe the CA Agile ALM solution, demonstrating how organizations can leverage their existing investments into an end-to-end lifecycle providing reporting, traceability and control in real-time. This discussion covers:
• The challenge of Agile ALM
• How CA Technologies Agile ALM solution can help
• Customer case studies and examples
• What Agile ALM means to you
For more information on Tasktop's CA Clarity solution and other solutions, please visit http://tasktop.com and follow @tasktop on Twitter.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is one of the fastest-growing divisions in the IT industry. SaaS models, which are centrally located on a remote cloud network, operate on a subscription basis and become useful for many businesses due to their flexibility, cost, and many other reasons.
Newsdata.io is just another example of Saas based product, which in this case is a news API that users use to get required news data through API calls. This is just one simple example of Saas.
In the coming period due to the covid pandemic, many companies will need the remote working of their employees, so the need for SaaS will only increase.
In this article, I’ve included some of the most important trends and growth data for SaaS solutions in 2022.
SAP Cloud Solutions for All Ariba Customers | Ariba LIVE RomeSAP Ariba
Now that Ariba is part of the SAP family, along with several other cloud acquisitions and investments, SAP is now the biggest cloud provider in the market! These solutions do not require that customers run SAP ERP, so even if your company runs Oracle, J.D. Edwards, Lawson, or other ERP systems, these cloud solutions might be a fit for you.
In this session, we will discuss the SuccessFactors HR Suite of Recruitment and Talent Management solutions, the SAP Cloud for Travel and Expense solution, and the SAP Jam collaboration platform, in addition to an overview of the rest of SAP’s cloud portfolio. Is your company headed into the cloud? If so, don’t miss this session.
Fred Isbell SAPinsider Projects 2016 Session: Making a Business Case for Clou...Fred Isbell
Building a business case for cloud and digital transformation: Issues, considerations, and best practices
Cloud computing is a disruptive technology and a key innovation for digital transformation. Attend this session to learn how to address innovations in your SAP projects and kick-start new initiatives that embrace cloud, big data and analytics, and social/digital solutions. You will:
• Review the “next wave” of innovation and business solutions, impacting both IT and Line of Business (LoB)
• Get key insights from industry influencers and experts to assist in building a business case
• Explore case studies from SAP projects, including key results and business impact and best practices to managing innovative project
Cloud Usage in Business Today and Tomorrowrftclouds
Reach for the Clouds, Inc. was formed to organizations migrate to the cloud with One Solution, One platform, one with your customer.
http://bit.ly/1wqmNX3
Ultimately, the rise of SaaS solutions will continue as we go. SaaS is used by both large and small businesses, and as these possibilities expand, this ratio will increase. For more information, see the following articles.
Is cloud computing right for your businessTyrone Systems
The cloud, cloud computing, SaaS…like it or not, we hear these terms mentioned incessantly in the technology and business world. And for a good reason – the benefits of cloud computing are vast.
Businesses around the globe are facing fierce competition – no matter the country, industry, or customer. Digitalization, sophisticated consumers with increasing demands, and lower margins are causing organizations to adapt their businesses, products, and services in response.
These companies are looking high and low for new growth opportunities, better business models, cost-cutting options, and increased efficiency in ways that standardize and simply their businesses from one end to the other.
With the support of HR Focal Point, NPC International adopted SAP SuccessFact...SAPPartnerCloud
NPC International is based in Pittsburg, Kansas, and is the largest franchisee of Pizza Hut and Wendy’s restaurants in the world. With people as its greatest asset, the company’s HR division recognized that challenges posed by enterprise legacy systems including maintenance delays and downtime had the potential to stifle growth.
DXC Technology- Innovating with Partner Managed Cloud for SAP Landscape Manag...SAPPartnerCloud
As one of the world’s leading independent, end-to-end IT services companies, DXC Technology supports customers’ digital transformations through services including Platform as a Service for SAP which is a full-stack managed, cloud service designed specifically for SAP applications and includes DXC managed cloud delivery of SAP Landscape Management.
msg global - Providing Intelligent IT Solutions for the Reinsurance Industry ...SAPPartnerCloud
With the tagline .consulting .solutions .partnership, msg global is committed to developing stable and efficient platforms that position customers for growth and expansion. With a deep understanding of the reinsurance market, msg global is equipped to truly understand the needs of their customers so they can recommend, implement and even develop innovative solutions and streamlined processes via partner managed cloud delivery.
T-Systems South Africa: Maximizing Quality Care Through Partner Managed CloudSAPPartnerCloud
T-Systems South Africa exemplifies the success of partner managed cloud, including how it advanced Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital's use of technology throughout the country. Its solution is certified as powered by SAP HANA® and offers clients sustainable, end-to-end-value at an affordable price.
Run Simple in the Digital Economy. Deliver massive business simplification for your customers with the SAP® S/4HANA suite deployed in a partner managed cloud
SAP Business Transformation Study | Sports and Entertainment | FanPaaSSAPPartnerCloud
Die-hard sports fans and season ticket holders are always looking for the ultimate fan experience. So,
FanPaaS, a Florida-based technology company, offers FanPaaS, a mobile app that lets fans purchase
tickets online from a multitude of sellers and helps them get the best seats at the best prices from all
available vendors. The app also deepens engagement by providing fans with their favorite sports teams’
data, scores, news, and premium content from a variety of leading feeds of the industry.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
2. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 2
In This Study, p3
The Cloud Opportunity, p4
What is Partner Managed Cloud?, p8
Why Solution Providers Like Partner Managed Cloud, p11
Why Partner Managed Cloud is Attractive for SAP Customers, p18
Getting Ready for Partner Managed Cloud, p22
Essential Guidance, p28
Methodology, p29
Contents
IDC BELIEVES THAT BY 2019, 40%
OF ALL SOFTWARE REVENUE WILL
BE ON A SUBSCRIPTION BASIS.
3. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 3
Software as a service is the new normal. IDC believes that by 2019, 40% of all software revenue will
be on a subscription basis. Customers are embracing cloud because they recognize the traditional
technology ownership model is inadequate for agility and because they appreciate financial flexibility.
This IDC study, commissioned by SAP, looks at partner managed cloud, an opportunity for solution
providers to deliver SAP solutions by OpEx consumption model through a private hosted cloud.
Via insights gained through in-depth conversations with partners currently offering managed cloud
solutions, it provides a summary of the key benefits partners have experienced, and the major value
propositions for their customers.
Finally, it concludes with guidance on getting ready for partner managed cloud including actionable
words of advice from partners that have successfully launched managed cloud solutions.
In this study
Via insights gained through in-depth conversations with several partners currently
offering managed cloud solutions, it provides a summary of the key benefits
partners have experienced, and the major value propositions for their customers.
4. pg 4
Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
Source: IDC CloudView Survey, 2016; n=11063
Customers plan to devote 30% more of their IT spend to
cloud services in 2016 compared to 2014, and allocation of
funds to private cloud has doubled in the last two years.
The Cloud Opportunity
5. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 5
According to IDC’s most recent CloudView
survey, the vast majority of customers (80%)
have either fully embraced using cloud to power
their business applications and infrastructure or
are in the process of deploying cloud solutions.
Only 8% are not interested at all (down from 21%
in 2014). The fact is that if you aren’t offering
cloud options you are missing out on substantial
opportunity.
The majority of growth in cloud spending over
the next two years will be from organizations
that were previously only light users or who
have not yet adopted cloud. So it certainly isn’t
too late to get into the game.
It’s a fact: customers are
embracing cloud
Not interested
Respondents indicating that they have no interest in, or
plans for, cloud computing at this time.8.0%
Evaluating
Respondents indicating that they are educating themselves
about cloud or the cloud approach for a specific service,
without firm plans to implement.12.5%
Deploying
Respondents indicating that they have firm plans to adopt
cloud within 12 months or are using the public or private
cloud for one or two small applications/workloads.20.3%
Embracing
Respondents indicating that they are currently using
public or private cloud for more than one or two small
applications/workloads.59.3%
Source: IDC CloudView 2016 Survey, 2016, n=11083
IDC CLOUDVIEW: OVERALL CLOUD ADOPTION
(ALL RESPONDENTS)
6. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 6
Source: Worldwide Hosted Private Cloud Services Forecast, 2015–2019 (IDC #259066)
Many customers are already convinced of the value of private
cloud. Almost 70% of companies that are already embracing
cloud prefer using private cloud services. Customers look
to private cloud service providers as the primary guarantors
of Web performance, application acceleration, and secure
connectivity.
Worldwide spending on private cloud services will reach $18.8
billion in 2016 and is expected to grow to $40.5 billion by
2019. That’s a compound annual growth rate of 31.5%. There is
lots of interest and lots of money on the table. Of course the
landscape looks different across the geographic regions, but
even established markets will have healthy two-digit growth
over the next four years.
There is a lot of interest in
private cloud
GROWTH IN PRIVATE
CLOUD SPENDING
2016 to 2019 CAGR
Latin America
Central and Eastern Europe
Asia Pacific ex Japan
U.S.
Western Europe
Middle East
Canada
Japan
45.4
32.9
32.5
31.7
29.6
27.9
24.1
23.2
7. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 7
Hybrid cloud is the dominant operating model today
because IT buyers are shifting to a ‘cloud also’ strategy.
Most companies are not looking at a wholesale
replacement of their legacy applications. Rather, they
are considering cloud options when they have a need
to augment or upgrade their technology. IDC expects
that by 2017, 80% of large organizations will commit to
hybrid cloud architectures that encompass public and
private cloud infrastructure, middleware, software, and
non-cloud IT assets.
The need to integrate traditional systems with modern
cloud infrastructure and applications is a big opportunity
for solution providers. Customers need help with IT
operational challenges and will look to solution providers
to navigate the hybrid world.
Hybrid cloud is the norm
SOFTWARE REVENUE GROWTH
RATE THROUGH 2017
5.5Xhigher cloud SW growth
vs. packaged SW
22%
4%
Cloud SW Packaged SW
8. pg 8
Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
“The partner managed cloud solution is essentially a technology lease for a fixed
term. It’s much easier for customers when they don’t have multiple contracts
where one outlives the other. Managed cloud normalizes all of their service terms
to the same period. It’s a win-win.” —SAP Partner, U.S.
What is Partner
Managed Cloud?
9. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 9
Partner managed cloud is a new way for solution providers
to deliver SAP solutions. It is packaged and managed SAP
solutions delivered via OpEx consumption model through
a partner’s private hosted cloud. Partner managed cloud
enables the creation of an integrated solution spanning
hardware, software and services. Partners have complete
flexibility to package, price, and set the customer terms
and conditions for their managed cloud solution, which can
incorporate nearly any SAP product.
Partner Managed Cloud: A new
way to partner with SAP
Partner managed cloud enables the creation
of an integrated solution spanning hardware,
software and services.
10. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 10
Partners can choose to acquire term licenses for SAP software on a deal-by-deal basis or execute
a partner managed cloud master agreement to cover multiple customers. Partners sell the SAP
software license along with their in-house expertise for a fixed term from 2 to 7 years. Partners can
bundle as many additional services with the SAP application as required by the customer. This would
naturally include infrastructure and hosting, but also application life cycle management, security
services, business consulting services, and anything else under the sun.
Partner managed cloud is an opportunity for partners to leverage their intellectual property, move
into the cloud, and expand revenue. To get started, partners identify a market segment that would
benefit from a repeatable cloud solution and develop a go-to-market strategy to address the target
group of customers. Managed cloud solution providers then build, sell, implement and support their
solutions with full autonomy.
PARTNER MANAGED CLOUD IS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR PARTNERS TO LEVERAGE THEIR
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, MOVE INTO THE
CLOUD, AND EXPAND REVENUE.
11. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 11
“Embrace the possibilities presented
by partner managed cloud. Your
clients will only thank you.”
—SAP Partner, Asia
Why Solution Providers Like
Partner Managed Cloud
12. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 12
As much as the success of cloud has created substantial opportunity, it has also opened the gates
for competition among solution providers and the potential to get stuck competing solely on price.
A good way to stand out is to specialize in an industry vertical or microvertical. For example, one
SAP partner has built a healthy revenue stream by focusing on business operations solutions for craft
breweries, while another has decided to go deep into the needs of the automotive industry in Asia.
Partners we spoke to view partner managed cloud as the foundation for greater opportunities to
specialize in and capitalize on a target market. They have found that a managed cloud approach
has enabled them to define new offerings simply, strategically and with a greater flexibility than for
traditional on-premise implementations. That’s because they have been able to leverage existing in-
house assets to create unique, but also standardized, recurring solutions.
An opportunity for specialization
“We’ve had success in the healthcare industry and it’s been very attractive in many
ways. Customers get their solution at a really, really decent price. And they can
focus then on making people better and healthier, rather than worrying about
running IT infrastructure and applications.” —SAP Partner, U.S.
13. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 13
A shorter implementation cycle. Partners that offer industry-specific, templated solutions indicate
that a three-month turnaround from implementation to ‘go live’ was the norm. Of course there is a
downside to a compressed project because it impacts up front professional services fees, but the
upside is being able to acquire and serve many more customers over the course of a year without
increasing delivery resources.
Streamlining sales and marketing. If you have a laser focus on a particular industry or market
segment you can also be very focused in your sales approach and marketing messages. This
requires staff to be knowledgeable about the area of specialization in order to lend credibility and
‘walk the talk’ in customer conversations. Some partners address this challenge by hiring experts
from their target industry to lead sales efforts.
Potential for higher profit. When you have a deep understanding of what makes your target
market tick you increase the value you can add to your customer’s business. This pays off because
it reduces competition and increases the price customers are willing to pay for your expertise.
THE ADVANTAGES OF SPECIALIZATION
14. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 14
Source: IDC Global SMB Survey, 4Q15; n=1889
Partners say the managed cloud approach provides mid-
market companies the opportunity to adopt solutions like the
SAP Hybris or HANA platforms with significantly fewer upfront
costs. It’s an opportunity for organizations that didn’t think they
could afford SAP technology to economically acquire ‘enterprise
class’ functionality. This opens up the potential for a lot more
conversations with customers that were previously not considered
prime prospects.
IDC research shows that the top business goal for small and
medium-sized businesses (SMB) worldwide is to grow revenue,
followed closely by the desire to manage costs by being more
efficient. SMBs have very positive views about technology, with
most strongly agreeing that the Internet has had a positive effect
on their business and that advanced technology is an important
competitive tool. In particular, technology that contributes to the
immediate corporate goals of improving finances or improving
productivity in the next 30 or 60 days will have strong appeal to
the SMB segment.
A new route to the SMB market
TOP 3 SMB ATTITUDES
TOWARDS TECHNOLOGY
The Internet has really transformed
the way we do business.
Advanced technology is an
important competitive tool.
We invest in technology to manage
costs and be more efficient.
“Partner managed cloud really knocks
down the mental block of the customer
that doesn’t want to hear about the
virtues of something they can’t afford.
It’s like you’re walking into a car dealer,
and you see your dream car sitting over
in the corner, and you immediately turn
your head away from it because you
don’t want to be teased by that...
—SAP Partner, Europe
15. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 15
Successful solution providers say the key to a robust recurring revenue stream and
a good profit margin is achieving a critical mass of customers. By definition and
design, a partner managed cloud solution is repeatable within a target market, so it
is relatively seamless to add new customers. Partners are also able to ‘invisibly’ add
users or locations to scale the solution to accommodate customer growth. After
acquiring the first few customers, partners say the implementation, maintenance
and upgrade processes become like a well-oiled machine. As well, one partner
noted that once you have a managed cloud contract in place, you save a lot of time
because you don’t have to negotiate each opportunity individually with SAP.
One caveat is that you need to minimize exceptions to your standard solution and
methods. Partners told us it’s sometimes tempting to take on a new customer
that falls a bit outside your sweet spot because it’s hard to pass on a revenue
opportunity. Partners we spoke to advise taking a very close and objective look at
a possible exception to make sure the extra work to accommodate a deviation in
the solution will be profitable. In some cases, the time and expense might enhance
the solution and make it more attractive to potential customers. In other cases, it
will be an expensive one-off requiring ongoing special attention.
Easy to repeat, repeat, repeat
“Partner managed cloud
enables us to leverage all
application maintenance,
upgrade processes, and
common development
across customers so we
can dramatically reduce
application maintenance
costs and development
costs to localize our
solution. Customers
all share the upgrades,
development, and
everything else that we
do rather than having
to do it for them on an
individual basis.”
—SAP Partner, U.S.
16. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 16
Prior to signing on with partner managed cloud, solution providers may have offered managed services
but not software licenses or provided systems integration services but not a hosted environment. Now,
they can offer customers a full end-to-end service, from software acquisition to ongoing care and feeding
of the solution. Partners we spoke to are really happy with the ability to bundle end-to-end services and
infrastructure into one customer contract and one customer bill. They feel this makes their customer
relationship ‘stickier’ because they become a single provider and ‘one-stop shop’ for a wide variety of
technology needs.
There is lots of room to enhance and extend ongoing services beyond the managed cloud solution,
including consulting, implementation, content provisioning, and managed or other general business
services that are layered on the SAP software.
One hand to shake
Partners we spoke to are really happy with the ability to bundle end-to-end
services and infrastructure into one customer contract and one customer bill.
They feel this makes their customer relationship ‘stickier.’
17. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 17
For example, some partners offer a ‘virtual CIO’ service, while others outsource desktop support
and other core infrastructure services in addition to running and maintaining the SAP technology.
As services can be far more profitable than re-selling software or hardware, there is an overall
expectation of higher margin within the model.
Partners we interviewed generate between 30% and 95% of their revenue from their cloud offerings.
Although we did not conduct a quantitative study, so these numbers cannot be considered iron clad,
here is their typical breakdown of revenue:
SAP software licenses
5% TO 13%
Managed cloud solution
30% TO 45%
Infrastructure
(IT assets and hosting)
30% TO 60%
Consulting services
40% TO 60%
18. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 18
“We did a business case recently for a client that needed to identify what’s more affordable:
having their own data center or outsourcing to the cloud. If you take into account the cost
of a primary data center, a secondary data center, all of the backup cycles, all the software
they require and so forth, the result was that over a seven year term they were 26% better
off by hosting with us in the cloud.”
—SAP Partner, Africa
Why Partner Managed Cloud
is Attractive to Customers
19. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 19
By definition, the managed cloud environment is ready and waiting, avoiding delays associated
with buying and installing hardware and networks. The repeatable platform and solution results in
a streamlined implementation, rather than a traditional extended project timeline to accommodate
extensive customization.
Partners report being able to reduce implementation time significantly compared with a traditional
SAP implementation. Partner managed cloud also makes it easier to start small so the customer can
experiment with the solution, then turn on additional features and functions as requirements become
crystalized. Partners say it helps get customers excited about the potential of the solution and keeps
them interested in achieving the business value of SAP technology.
A faster time to value
“Getting the customer up and running very quickly allows them to see and experiment with the
solution then grow from there. We start working with them at that point to really understand what
the priorities are and continue to iterate and grow them through additional releases and functionality
over the next few months. That way we provide value quickly as opposed to waiting a year and
showing them something that they may or may not like. It also allows the client to buy in along the
way and to shift very quickly when their priorities change over time.” —SAP Partner, U.S.
20. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 20
Partner managed cloud solutions are structured so that
customers can use operating funds instead of capital funds
for their technology purchases. Usually, it is relatively easy
to shift operating money around and of course, it is nice to
spread payment over the life of the solution rather than write a
big check up front. IT purchase decisions are also continuing
to shift beyond the CIO and IT department. IDC believes that
line-of-business buyers are involved in 80% of all technology
purchases and are contributing budget to almost 60% of IT
sales transactions.
Managed cloud solution providers say their customers
appreciate the payment flexibility they can offer. One size
does not have to fit all, making it easier for customers to sign
on the bottom line. Because partners are in complete control
of the customer relationship, they can offer whatever financial
arrangement is mutually beneficial. Keep in mind, though,
offering too many different payment options may complicate
closing a deal.
A flexible procurement process
“We can create a different
financing vehicle for our customers
that allows them to have
standardized monthly payments
that include the hosting, managed
services and the ongoing services
as our customer relationship
grows. We can maneuver that in
a variety of different ways under
partner managed cloud.”
—SAP Partner, Europe
21. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 21
In a traditional implementation, customers end up with several different
contracts and several different parties to negotiate with. It is safe to
say that most would rather not juggle multiple contracts for a single
solution. Partner managed cloud reduces complexity by enabling one
customer contract that covers all aspects of the solution, including
software, infrastructure, maintenance, and ongoing management
services. An added bonus is if there is less time spent executing
agreements, the solution can be implemented sooner.
Being a single source provider also aligns with customer preference
building a relationship with a cloud solution provider. IDC research
shows the majority of buyers (66%) believe the best route for adopting
cloud is to stick with a single major cloud provider. That means once you
have forged a good relationship customers are likely to stick with you.
A single source provider
The majority of buyers (66%) believe the best route for adopting
cloud is to stick with a single major cloud provider.
22. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 22
“You have to be clinical in packaging your solution and understand you will need to deliver
volume business. You may have five or ten deals going at the same time. That’s certainly
what we’re experiencing as we’ve incorporated the managed cloud licensing into our
healthcare package.” —SAP Partner, Europe
Getting Ready for Partner
Managed Cloud
23. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 23
There are always changes and impacts when you do
something new. The degree of change will depend on where
you are starting from. If you have been in managed services
for a while, the learning curve won’t be so steep. If not, you’ll
need to map out your journey to readiness. For sales and
marketing, partners report the following impacts.
The sales cycle turns on its head. When you are selling
subscriptions instead of one-off projects the sales
transaction is just the beginning. Your money will come
in the door over time instead of as large lump sums.
The customer relationship post-sale is an important
focus, in order to make sure they are getting value
out of their managed cloud services and solution and
continue to keep their subscription relationship with
you. This increases the importance of ‘farmers’ who
nurture the customer relationship post-sale.
What will partner managed cloud
mean to sales and marketing?
IDC research reveals that 65%
of B2B buyers have already
researched and made a technology
purchase decision before they
contact a sales rep.
24. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 24
The sales cycle accelerates. There are several aspects of partner managed cloud that contribute
to a faster sales cycle. The solution is already on the shelf and can be easily demonstrated, so
customers have lots of tangible input for their purchase decision. The ability to use operating funds
and flexible procurement terms also grease the wheels. This is good news that also comes with
some potential delivery challenges if your organization isn’t ready for the volume of new customers.
Partners we spoke to all experienced a very positive impact on their revenue stream.
The sales conversation changes. With a repeatable solution, the sales conversation is about
a ‘plug and play’ solution as opposed to exploring an array of customized possibilities. Some
customers will need to be educated about the advantages of this approach and sales staff will need
to be prepared for objections and to resist the temptation to promise deviations from the standard
solution. Another aspect that might be new to some customers is the notion of signing up for a
specific term. You need to have a ready response if the customer wants to know what happens if
they leave before the term is up.
Digital marketing is key. IDC research reveals that 65% of B2B buyers have already researched and
made a technology purchase decision before they contact a sales rep. At a minimum, you need
to get your website content up to snuff, including customer success stories and business-focused
information about your expertise in your chosen niche. It is also a good idea to use search engine
optimization techniques to help customers find out about you. And of course take advantage of
the marketing assets provided through SAP PartnerEdge.
25. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 25
“One of the conversations we always have during the contracting
process is about the worst case scenario. ‘If we’re not happy with you
two years down the line, but we’ve entered into a five-year agreement,
what happens now?’ These are the kind of things you need to have viable
answers to. But if you can backup the service with the appropriate service
levels and the associated credibility, then you won’t have an issue.”
—SAP Partner, U.S.
“Partner managed cloud has certainly become
an enabler of additional revenue because it
simplifies the message to the market. It gives us
more flexibility in terms of our approach. I would
put it at about 20-25% potential increase in
revenue compared to previous years.”
—SAP Partner, Africa
26. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 26
Partners we spoke to pointed out several aspects of services delivery and business operations that
are likely to change when you start offering a repeatable packaged solution.
The implementation methodology. The implementation methodology usually needs to be
adapted for partner managed cloud to accommodate the accelerated time frame to get the
solution up and running. One partner noted that project management, in particular, needs to be
very disciplined to keep the implementation tasks on track within a compressed schedule. Staff
accustomed to traditional implementations may need time to adapt to the new methods.
Project team staffing. Because the implementation tasks for a managed cloud solution are
usually less complex than those for a traditional on-premise model, partners say the learning
curve for new staff is faster. There’s an opportunity for more leverage of high-value, high-cost
resources like technical architects because projects are shorter and teams are smaller.
What will partner managed cloud
mean to operations and delivery?
“You need a different type of project manager here. You’ve got to push things
through according to the contract. We can only offer low prices because of the
efficient utilization of our consulting team.” —SAP partner, U.S.
27. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 27
Pricing and contract terms. As mentioned earlier, partner managed cloud gives solution providers
full flexibility to set prices and contract terms. While flexibility is good, it can be a challenge
to consider all the options. You need to determine what to bundle into a recurring revenue
subscription component and what (if anything) you will charge up front and/or on a project basis.
Because the expectation is that most costs will be spread across several customers, pricing needs
to anticipate reaching a critical mass. Partners say this might affect profit in the short term while
you get your pipeline moving.
“We bundle everything. You have the hardware cost, the software
cost, and the implementation cost. We charge upfront for some of
the cost and then it’s split out into a monthly fee.”
—SAP Partner, U.S.
28. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 28
“The whole point of any business is
making it easier to buy your services.
And what partner managed cloud does
is make it easier to buy your services.
That’s the bottom line, right?”
—SAP Partner, U.S.
Essential Guidance
29. Sponsored by SAP
Partner Managed Cloud: Opportunities and Best Practices for SAP Partners
pg 29
IDC believes that partner managed cloud hits all the sweet spots in today’s technology market for partners. It
offers the opportunity for specialization and differentiation, recurring revenue, and an entry point to the cloud.
Cloud is not just the way of the future, it is the way of today. We expect a reduction in spending on traditional
client-server technologies of almost 5% over the next five years, while cloud, mobile, big data and social business
solutions will grow by almost 13% over the same period.
Partners that focus on increasing their recurring revenue realize there will likely be some short term pain as they
work to build up a critical mass of customers. But once you get there, it can be very good business indeed,
because it smooths the revenue stream. In other research we have conducted, a healthy amount of recurring
revenue can have a positive effect on business valuation.
SAP is helping their partners go where the market is going. If you take advantage of partner managed cloud and
the resources available through SAP PartnerEdge you will be well positioned to succeed in the new era of IT.
Essential Guidance
IDC believes partners that are not able to add true value, such as a solution tailored to the needs of a particular
industry or market sector, will find their revenue opportunities decline. We have also seen a steady rise in the
importance of services in the revenue mix as a major contributor to gross profit. And the pinnacle source of
margin is intellectual property created internally that is packaged up as an ‘as a service’ solution, like those that
have been created by solution providers delivering partner managed cloud.