The new RISE with SAP on IBM Power Virtual Server offering, he said, “seems like a practical option for companies already using SAP on IBM. It provides a clear path to the cloud, promising to transition SAP S/4HANA workloads in just 90 days, with potential cost savings of 30% based on IBM’s own experience.”
It does, added Kramer, also “include extended support options, helping businesses prepare for the end of SAP support. The familiarity of SAP and IBM Power systems makes the shift less daunting, though adoption will depend on factors such as the company’s current SAP setup, budget, and readiness for cloud migration. Change management and data quality will be key areas to address during the transition.”
Bickley said the reference to IBM Consulting as a potential systems integration (SI) partner, “further allows IBM to embed themselves in the SAP partner network as an infrastructure provider. The reality is that IBM’s cloud business never quite took off, so this is really chasing the ‘tag ends.’ Most of this business will flow to Azure or AWS, with the leftovers dropping to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and now IBM.”
