SAP kick starts SME drive

SAP has given its SME strategy a boost by launching an "Enabled by SAP Business One" programme.

The ERP giant hopes the move will turn high-end software products into a commodity purchase by certifying SAP partners and resellers on the basis of their technical ability and on the sales marketing and implementation support available.

While SAP will monitor its partners, integrators and resellers will know that chen they chose to market and implement a vertical-specific independent product with the “Enabled by SAP” designation for a client, they will have solid support and expertise behind them.

Conrad Mandala, vice president, SAP Business One North America, compared the programme to what Dell and others did in the computers and peripherals space.

"If some one told you 20 years ago you could buy a computer over the Web on a whim I don't think they'd believe you," he said. "That's what this is doing for SAP, and the ERP.

“Productise our core solutions and leverage SAP's experience with the strong underpinning of the solution provider's expertise and market knowledge. That's what's enabled by this certification."

Twenty-two products have completed SAP’s industry solutions verification as a first step in the “Enabled By” process – they are available for 18 industries in 20 countries including the UK, US, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands and Spain.