What some speculated would be a big blow to SAP this week turned into a big win, as the enterprise apps leader signed a large maintenance renewal contract with fellow German company Siemens AG.
Various reports over the past month indicated that Siemens, a major global SAP customer, would jettison its maintenance contract and seek SAP application support from a third party. Wednesday’s revelation ended that conjecture, with SAP announcing in a statement the “completion of Siemens’ contract renewal for SAP maintenance support services for all SAP solutions based on SAP’s maintenance standards for large customers for a duration of three years.”
SAP also expanded its software footprint, as Siemens agreed to add to its Business Suite deployment SAP’s Supplier Relationship Management offering, which automates processes along the procure-to-pay chain for indirect material.
“Coupling its maintenance support renewal with selection of our SRM solution is a clear indication that Siemens trusts in the ability of SAP to provide global services for its enterprises,” said Erwin Gunst, SAP’s chief operating officer. “SAP has been, and will continue to be, a strong strategic supplier to Siemens.” (The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Gunst is on medical leave, with no word on when he may return to his duties.)