Large-scale software implementations require considerable care and handling if they’re to deliver the functionality and efficiencies that enterprise customers require. When cloud computing is added to the mix, managing the process is even trickier. Firms that offer consulting services for large-scale ERP projects – SAP obviously high on the list – are increasingly looking to strategic partnerships to bring the necessary expertise within reach.
Systems integrator and management consultancy Illumiti Inc., an SAP channel partner, has announced that it is adding Sungard Availability Services as a hosting partner. The partnership broadens the range of available hosting solutions to complement Illumiti’s portfolio of implementation, software and consulting offerings. Illumiti says the partnership will enable its customers, which include large enterprises as well as mid-sized firms, to optimize their key business operations faster, at a lower cost, and at lower risk.
As an SAP-certified provider of hosting and cloud services, Sungard services will help customers integrate into cloud solutions from SAP and implementations based on the HANA platform. Sungard delivers availability services to support always-on, always-available enterprise applications. It provides a range of software and services, including managed IT services, information availability consulting services, business continuity management software and disaster recovery services.
“Sungard is an SAP Certified Outsourcing Operations Partner for Hosting, Cloud and HANA, providing more options for Illumiti to help its customers benefit from seamless operational support across the broad variety of SAP products that are increasingly part of the solutions we deliver,” Dror Orbach, Illumiti’s chief operating officer told IT World Canada in an email.
The spectrum of operational support extends from functional configuration and custom programs within the system through the SAP software itself and the full stack of infrastructure hardware, software and network tools, Orbach explained. Sungard’s SAP specialist staff will enable Illumiti to deliver enhanced service levels, including high availability and disaster recovery options, Orbach said.
“We are excited about our new partnership with Sungard Availability Services. It strengthens our ability to provide customers with additional options to select the best turnkey solutions – including a fully managed virtualized platform for SAP applications,” said Nir Orbach, CEO of Illumiti, which is headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
“The partnership with Illumiti allows Sungard Availability Services to extend our services into new markets to further meet our customers’ capacity and operations needs for their SAP environments,” said Chris Toushan, Sungard’s senior vice president of sales for Canada. “Given our shared resources and hosting services with high-quality operational standards, together we can offer standardized IT SAP solutions and services which is key in today’s ever-evolving IT landscape.”
As an SAP (Nasdaq: SAP) channel partner Illumiti sells into the mid-market, as well as to large enterprise customers who adopted SAP and other systems when they were in the mid-market range, Dror Orbach says. The company provides large enterprise customers with services that include application maintenance, enhancement and support. Illumiti focuses exclusively on SAP implementations, and has partnerships with other vendors whose products and services complement those of SAP.