SAP 'Leonardo' to help Indian SMEs join digital economy: Top Executive


With the digital India initiative firmly in place, enterprise solutions provider SAP is ready to not only enable the integration of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into the digital economy but also help big firms bolster their networks to derive competitive advantage, a top company executive said here.

SAP India announced the launch of its "Leonardo" portfolio here that will fuel the goal of a $1 trillion digital economy by 2025.

"SAP Leonardo" is a digital innovation system that brings together machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, analytics and Big Data on SAP Cloud Platform, using design thinking services.

With this offering, SAP will create a digital ecosystem which will enable companies to rapidly innovate and embed digital innovation into all their applications and business processes, thus creating efficient businesses, revenue growth and improving customer experience.

"Currently, a wave of digitization is happening in India as well as a regulatory framework being rolled out with the GST rollout," Deb Deep Sengupta, President and Managing Director, SAP India Subcontinent, told IANS.

As a result, "a lot of smaller companies are joining formal economies, where they need to adopt digital technologies. On the other hand, mid-to-larger companies would have to innovate through digital technologies at a faster speed to be able to keep up the pace with the rivals. It is here that 'SAP Leonardo' plays a significant role," Sengupta added.

SAP India has partners who are spread across six focus areas -- connected products, connected assets, connected fleet, connected infrastructure, connected markets and connected people.

Through this ecosystem, SAP will deliver innovative capabilities and services that integrate with core business applications so that customers can seamlessly bridge between operating and innovating.

"We believe helping these customers over the next 12-18 months will also drive our revenue and growth," Sengupta said.

Started in 1996, SAP India with over 11,000 employees is the second largest subsidiary and one of the fastest growing companies within SAP worldwide.

Headquartered in Germany, the multinational software corporation - that develops enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations - has a presence in eight Indian cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

"We look at India not just as a market opportunity but also help it grow through giving back," Sengupta said.

The company also announced "SAP IoT Connect 365". It is a managed, Cloud-based service that simplifies IoT connectivity by enabling mobile network operators to connect with enterprise, governments, and people to leverage technologies that can drive out supply chain inefficiencies and sub-optimal asset utilization.

"SAP IoT Connect 365 delivers choice and flexibility to enterprises, laying the foundation for a well-connected, cost-efficient and secure environment," the company said.