How Software AG will assist business in SA to flourish


Johannesburg, 01 Apr 2019

Acknowledged market-leading technology, a robust financial position and a global blue-chip customer base are enviable assets for an IT company to have. But, for a company such as Software AG that is always seeking new ways to assist its clients in realising the true benefits of digitalisation or the Internet of things (IOT), they are the springboard for the company's 2019 growth strategy. They are also the basis for CEO Sanjay Brahmawar's new vision and multi-year transformation strategy, named Helix.

A strong component of the business growth strategy is an increased focus on partnerships, both within the industry as well as with channel partners, as a wide ecosystem is fundamental to delivering IOT success in providing the multiple technologies, both software and hardware and services, needed.

A significant example, announced in November 2018, is Software AG's new IOT partnership with Dell to enable it to bundle its Cumulocity IoT Edge product with a range of Dell servers, enabling high-performance, industry-agnostic IOT connectivity and edge analytics.

A partnership with SAP has also been brokered. This is for the development of a Smart City platform that will provide cities, communities and administrative districts to create and implement their own solutions.

For the burgeoning SME market, the partnership with AWS has been expanded to assist Software AG in better serving this market segment.

These announcements, coupled with Brahmawar's vision for the business, bode well for the South African market.

"Some of South Africa's challenges are the same as those in other markets, but others are region-specific," says Kholiwe Makhohliso, Software AG South Africa's Country Manager. "When Sanjay visited our office last year, he was introduced to South Africa's challenges and this is how South Africa's strategy was created, in a manner which dovetails with Software AG's global vision."

Makhohliso says in South Africa, Software AG's commitment to integration as a business tool and the ability for businesses to turn real-time data into information that can be acted on, is still unwavering. "Our clients will be able to benefit from our platform-agnostic solutions that can bring apps, cloud, IOT devices and data together in a meaningful manner that creates noticeable benefits to their businesses." She also pointed out that 80% of the preparatory work for successful IOT involves total integration of all data sources relevant to the enterprise, internal, external and along the whole supply chain.

To achieve these goals, Software AG South Africa will focus on its channel and continue to prioritise its partner network. Makhohliso is refining the partner programme to align to the launched Helix strategy to realise the benefits that Software AG's technology can give its partners, value-added resellers and local system integrators in being able to support their clients' business objectives.

"Our partner programme is built on two important values. The first is the vital role that building relationships with our partners plays; the second is to offer value that makes it worthwhile for their clients to use our technology. We have consistently been able to achieve both, and we won't be slowing down in 2019," concludes Makhohliso.

Share

Editorial contacts

Sthembile Duma
Epic MSLGroup
sthembile.duma@mslgroup.com