Region seen as fastest growing IT market for collaborative commerce
Singapore — SAP is extending its reach to Asia as part of its strategy to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding enterprise and e-commerce market throughout the region, according to a company executive. The expansion of SAP into Vietnam is the latest development in the company’s plan to strategically penetrate the Indochina markets of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
“The Asia Pacific region is one of the fastest growing IT markets in the world and the opportunities for enterprise computing, e-commerce and collaborative e-marketplaces are tremendous,” said Ian Black, managing director for SAP for Vietnam and the Philippines. Black spoke during a CEO briefing and formal launch of mySAP.com — SAP’s e-business enterprise platform — in Ho Chi Minh City earlier today.
“Our solutions enable companies to expand their business reach, while at the same time streamlining their operations. By deepening our investment in our Asian operations, we are expanding our work with our partners to provide leadership and superior solutions to this strategic region,” Black said. Team Synergia, an SAP-certified value-added reseller and strategic partner, is responsible for selling and implementing mySAP.com in Vietnam.
Black explained that SAP is entering the Vietnam market in fulfillment of the company’s vision to provide enterprise solutions, e-business applications and collaborative services for global trading throughout Asia. “Vietnam is emerging as an important manufacturing center and exporter of all kinds of technology products, from hardware components to software. And its traditional firms are becoming important components of global supply chains. We believe we can contribute to and accelerate these trends in a meaningful and important way that will provide tremendous benefits to companies in Vietnam,” he said.
mySAP.com is designed to streamline business processes, build strong relationships with customers and suppliers, and enhance supply chain efficiency regardless of industry and company size according to Black. For many, it is the defacto standard for enterprise computing.
“SAP solutions are already run by 18,000 companies in 120 countries with 50,000 installations,” Black said. “These are companies that understand the importance of operating at international standards of efficiency and productivity as well as the contribution of close customer relationships and expert supply chain management to their long-term success.”
The solutions are used in a variety of industries and in companies of all sizes, according to Black. “We have developed specific solutions for industries from high-tech manufacturing to health care with as few as three users to thousands,” he said.
The mySAP.com platform is a family of solutions including mySAP Financials, mySAP Human Resources, mySAP Customer Relationship Management, mySAP Supply Chain Management, mySAP Enterprise Portal, 21 industry-specific solutions, and solutions tailored to small and mid-size businesses. Specific industry solutions include a public sector solution, which is used by local and national governments around the globe.
SAP is the global leader in enterprise solutions according to international research organizations that report on developments in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, such as Gartner Group and IDC. The company has subsidiaries in 50 countries and operates throughout Asia, Black explained. Although SAP formally launched its solutions in the local market today, a number of multinationals operating in Vietnam already use SAP solutions.
“mySAP.com solutions are open and flexible, supporting databases, applications, operating systems, and hardware platforms from most any major vendor,” Black explained. “And they are designed for virtually any organization, from global enterprise to small and midsize businesses.” Black said that mySAP.com solutions are generally implemented in three to six months’ time, and that such major multinationals as BMW, Coca-Cola, and Siemens use SAP. However, he also noted that much smaller organizations such as Philippine retailer and paper products manufacturer Sterling Paper and the Shakey’s fast-food chain, headquartered in Asia.
A number of Philippine government agencies also employ SAP, including the Social Security System and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, according to Black.
