Five years ago we joined our partners worldwide to celebrate the 20 years anniversary of SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC). Since its conception SAP ICC has been working with independent software vendors and SAP Partners to ensure SAP customers benefit of a smooth and adherent to technical requirements integration between their solutions and SAP. To achieve this SAP ICC has been providing tools and technical requirements that cover more than 100 different certification scenarios and can certify practically any solution integrating with SAP solutions or developed with SAP platforms.
Although this story began 25 years ago, in Latin America it started 8 years later, more specifically in Brazil, with a SAP Enterprise Portal integration via SAP NetWeaver certified by SAP. Back to the 2000s, SAP NetWeaver was the platform of choice to extend SAP’s functionalities, by the time still knew as “The ERP Company”. The regional partners that certified solutions in this period were looking for to comply with standards required by companies headquartered in North America or Europe. As these situations were scarce the certification didn’t really pose a differentiator for those partners. A lot changed since then.
Nowadays, on top of well established technologies, SAP offers new development platforms, like SAP Business Technology Platform, used by a growing number of companies to develop innovative solutions for the market, and has positioned itself as “The Cloud Company”. With more competition in the market and more opportunities to offer solutions for different markets worldwide, SAP Certification has become a standard and the mean for many companies to prove their customers their solutions are reliable and adherent to SAP standards. Since 2013, SAP ICC counts on local presence in Brazil to support Latin American partners in local language and same timezone. This helped creating synergies that brought partners closer and the number of certified solutions in the region has exploded. From 2004 to 2015 SAP ICC had delivered 150 certifications for companies based in 13 Latin American countries. In the last 5 years only, it delivered more than 160 certifications for 16 countries. An exponential growth that shall become a trend.
There are reasons why the number of SAP Certified solutions in Latin America have seen that growth. Firstly, the eagerness of regional partners to expand their boundaries. From solutions developed to address government local requirements, partners now want to explore opportunities in other countries and continents, making use of technology, SAP branding and channels to get there. In terms of channels, SAP has provided and evolved portals like SAP Certified Solutions Directory and SAP Store, that help regional partners to promote their solutions worldwide. Secondly, SAP has delivered new platforms, new solutions, and so new ways of addressing customers’ needs, that our Latin American partners have smartly took advantage of. One great example is SAP Business One that counts on practically its own ecosystem in the region. Added to that, SAP has refocused its strategy towards the SAP ecosystem of partners, making it instrumental to make businesses in the region.
As one can rightly imagine, competition has reached unprecedent levels, with partners advancing on other countries in the region, establishing reseller channels and even associations. To offer good solutions is not enough anymore, and it’s important to prove they are good and that you walk hand in hand with SAP. Resellers have noticed the value of preferring to work with SAP Certified solutions, and so have SAP customers. We couldn’t be prouder to support our partners to make the difference in the region and beyond.
Latin America is not just a technology consumer region anymore. It has firmly established itself as an incubator for some of the most innovative companies in the planet, delivering high quality technology solutions for customers worldwide. SAP ICC will continue to be a trusted partner, helping companies in the region to attract more awareness to their solutions for the next 20 or 25 years to come!
SAP ICC celebrates 25 years of enabling partner ecosystem innovation
Partner Meet-Up-Virtual Edition – 25 Years for SAP ICC
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