By Susan Galer
Building out a cloud strategy can be challenging – the SAP ONE Support program simplifies the experience.
Market watchers agree that adoption of cloud computing is growing rapidly. Research firm IDC predicts cloud spending will increase by 25 percent in 2014, rising to USD $100 billion. But behind all the talk about transformation lies a more complex reality. When it comes to cloud-based software, companies need to make sure their users receive the support they need across hybrid environments that typically also include on premise solutions. Enter the newly introduced SAP ONE Support program, expressly designed to help customers more easily navigate their journey to cloud.
According to Michael Rieder, Senior Vice President, Active Global Support at SAP, “Based on our conversations with customers, many companies will be staying for the foreseeable future on hybrid landscapes. ONE Support gives customers simplicity and choice, delivering seamless support whether they are running SAP on-premise, on SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, SuccessFactors or Ariba. That way, they can stay focused on using our software to drive business results.”
Augusto Abbarchi, Senior Vice President and head of Global Maintenance Go-To-Market at SAP, adds a distinction between project-based, discrete products and the advantages offered by ONE Support. “Unlike pure play cloud vendors, SAP is able to support the customer’s entire software landscape. For example, if you have both SAP and SuccessFactors solutions, you get an integrated support experience.”
End-to-end support is crucial in hybrid environments
Since the SAP ONE Support program is delivered as part of the existing SAP Enterprise Support offering, there is no upgrade required or additional cost associated with using it. Instead, customers of any SAP solution, whether on-premise, on SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, SuccessFactors, or Ariba, receive streamlined support from the contact points they are already using. “We are integrating the problem-resolution-incident process on the backbone of SAP Enterprise Support. So regardless of who the customer talks with, whether it’s their Enterprise Support Advisor or someone else, we’re resolving issues with harmonized, seamless ease behind the scenes,” says Rieder.
Equally important, SAP ONE Support enables customers to get the greatest value from their SAP business process landscapes end-to-end, regardless of how they’ve deployed solutions or what technologies they are using. “For example, customers can get up and running very quickly with SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and SAP HANA-based applications without having to make any broader landscape adjustments,” says Abbarchi.
Support for self-paced transition to cloud aligned with company goals
In many ways, the SAP ONE Support program reflects the importance of customer choice as companies build cloud strategies. Customers need the freedom to decide on the best software deployment that fits their business requirements. It may be hybrid, on-premise, or most likely, a combination of both. But they are the ones deciding which solutions to implement in the cloud at the pace that makes the most sense for their goals. After all, the objective of moving to cloud-based software is to free up the customer’s time so they can focus more on innovating their business. Support that eases the journey to the cloud provides even more agility for greater business value.
For more information, read the announcement.