SAP Readies CRM Onslaught with Hybris Buy
Following SAP's forays into cloud-based Big Data analytics and social enterprise software to boost its customer relationship management (CRM) portfolio, the company is now taking aim at the market for e-commerce solutions.
SAP announced that it is acquiring Swiss e-commerce software maker hybris. While the companies have not officially disclosed the terms of the deal, reports have placed the transaction's value between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. The acquisition is expected to close during the third quarter pending customary approvals.
Described as the “world's fastest growing e-commerce software company” by SAP, hybris provides multi-channel commerce platforms tailored to both the business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) markets. The company's platform encompasses products for Web and mobile retailing along with call centers and in-store solutions.
For SAP, the acquisition ties neatly with the company's Big Data and social media investments. “The combination of hybris' commerce platform with the flagship in-memory platform SAP HANA, analytical and cloud applications, and the SAP Jam social software platform will give SAP a significant edge in delivering new levels of customer insight and engagement across all channels,” informed the company in a statement.
Of late, SAP has been making a concerted effort to grow its cloud-enabled business software portfolio. Last month, the company took the wraps off HANA Enterprise Cloud, a subscription-based offering that leverages SAP's in-memory technology to speed up business applications.
SAP's 360 Customer CRM application is also expected to benefit from the buy. SAP 360 has emerged as a top mobile CRM platform. Now, SAP is poised to meld those innovations with hybris' e-commerce platform. “Hybris puts SAP on the leading edge of the consumer economy. With hybris, SAP has made a decisive move to raise the stakes in customer relationship management and define the next generation customer experience,” said SAP co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe in company remarks.
Hybris CEO Ariel Lüdi and president Carsten Thoma expect that SAP will heighten their technology's profile. “Hybris is a recognized leader in commerce platform technology, and the combination with SAP will enable us to deliver complete omni-channel business solutions and continue our strong growth trajectory,” they said in a statement. “Joining with SAP will significantly expand the scope, scale and power of hybris' commerce platform, and allow us to deliver the next generation of customer engagement innovation across all channels.”
Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Enterprise Apps Today and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.
Pedro Hernandez contributes to Enterprise Apps Today, and 11Press, the technology network. He was previously the managing editor of Internet.com, an IT-related website network. He has expertise in Smart Tech, CRM, and Mobile Tech, Helping Banks and Fintechs, Telcos and Automotive OEMs, and Healthcare and Identity Service Providers to Protect Mobile Apps.
