Many businesses are realising the benefits that cloud computing offers. According to a survey conducted by Inc. for IBM, close to 6 in 10 mid-size businesses are already opting for cloud solutions for some uses, 23% have migrated most or all of their IT functions to the cloud and 34% are moving some of their IT functions to the cloud. There are many reasons why cloud platforms far outperform traditional IT infrastructure, and in this article, we’ll go through some of the most common ones. Easier to manage, greater mobility Cloud platforms and models are often easier to manage than on premise solutions. Mobility is also a huge benefit moving forward for a lot of businesses, since ubiquitous access to information assets has become standard business practice these days. Users can [...]

With several choices of integration method and many different SAP integration specialists, how do you go about choosing the right partner to help with your SAP® solutions integration projects? Before you start speaking to anyone, it’s a good idea to draw up the following documents: A scope of work Your business case for the integration work An outline of the project milestones and desired go live date Armed with that information, here’s a list of 20 questions you might find useful when deciding which SAP® solutions System Integrators would best meet your needs: Do they have a deep technical knowledge of SAP® solutions – data mapping, integration points, optional integration methods? Can they help me build a business case for the integration work? What experience do [...]

T-Systems and MATRIX have agreed a partnership to support SAP® solutions customers as they transition from on premise to the cloud. That support starts with assistance on business case and strategy and continues through support and maintenance for life. Together we have discussed the prospect of moving SAP® solutions from on premise to the cloud with many companies, each of whom has their own issues and concerns to be addressed. We gathered our findings and co-authored an eBook based on the top 8 barriers to moving SAP to the cloud. We believe that MATRIX and T-Systems delivers a complete solution for those considering moving their SAP® applications to the cloud. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to when and how to migrate [...]

Integration Platform as a Service (IPaaS) is a new generation of cloud-based solutions that facilitate the integration of applications, processes, and data across systems that reside both in the cloud and on-premise. Organisations of all sizes are increasingly moving their operations to the cloud. The reality today is that, for most businesses, there is no single solution or application that meets all of their business needs. Traditional ERP systems like SAP® software cover a broad range of business requirements, but increasingly the market is widening with companies who are offering truly ‘best of breed’ cloud based solutions for CRM, Procurement, HCM, eCommerce. As a consequence the emphasis is shifting away from the traditional approach of configuration, development and enhancement of a single application or solution towards the [...]

If you are reading this, I assume you are looking at SAP® solutions cloud migration and don’t actually want to fail! We have combined our MATRIX cloud integration platform together with T-Systems cloud hosting and our joint SAP® solutions expertise to provide a complete solution for those who want to move SAP® solutions (together with associated integrations) to either a private cloud or a hybrid cloud infrastructure. In doing so we’ve listened to the issues faced by many organisations and compiled a list of the top reasons why SAP® solutions cloud migrations fail to even get off the ground (pardon the pun!). They include:  Difficulties with cost justification. Moving to the cloud is a serious project, but viewed over the longer period, there is usually a sound cost justification. [...]

When planning a cloud migration strategy involving a core ERP system like SAP® solutions, the issue of managing integration can be an early stumbling block. Will my current integration work when we move SAP® solutions to the cloud? Do we need to replace current integration with different technology? How will we manage all these different types of integration moving forwards? Does moving to the cloud present new alternatives that are easier and cheaper to run? These are just some of the questions that IT directors are asking when they are planning a SAP® solutions cloud migration. The problem is that not every application is right for the cloud. Bespoke applications, those containing sensitive data, and software that has been heavily customised may not be suited for the public [...]

73% of IT professionals from small-medium sized enterprises say that SAP® solutions integration in the cloud has reduced the cost of their IT infrastructure (Forbes) An IPaaS requires no investment in hardware, reduces software costs, and, in the case of MATRIX, eliminates the need for integration expertise to develop and maintain interfaces. Infrastructure cost reduction: A complete cloud integration solution drastically reduces the infrastructure required when compared to on-premise or traditionally hosted middleware, and associated operational costs are also removed completely. Software license cost reduction: Many traditional on-premise integration solutions involve high licensing costs. IPaaS solutions offer out-of-the-box integration for a monthly subscription, which is generally much lower than the ongoing license maintenance costs associated with a traditional platform. You pay for what you use, and not for [...]