(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Telecommunications carrier and Deutsche Telekom’s (www.deutschetelekom.com) corporate customers arm, T-Systems (www.t-systems.com), and Internet solutions provider SAP AG (www.sap.com) have entered into an agreement by which T Systems will acquire SAP’s existing European external hosting customer base.
The news comes just a couple months after managed services provider SunGard Availability Services announced it became a SAP hosting partner in the US, enabling the company to provide hosting services for SAP applications.
Once the transaction is complete, the hosting support for SAP software applications of nearly 90 SAP customers will be transferred to T-Systems. The companies emphasis that the transaction will not involve the transfer of staff or fixed assets.
SAP provides business software, applications and services to more than 89,000 customers in over 120 countries.
The transaction underscores T-Systems’ position as a leading SAP service provider, and the company sees the acquisition of SAP’s external hosting business as an opportunity to generate continued global growth.
The transaction is expected to be completed in early October, pending the approval of anti-trust authorities.
“The takeover of SAP external hosting business fits precisely to T-Systems’ global SAP strategy,” says Olaf Heyden, member of the board of management of T-Systems and head of ICT operations. “The transaction is the next step according to the won deal with Continental to underline T-Systems’ position as a global leading SAP service provider. On the same hand we boost our dynamic services approach.”
T-Systems provides a range of customized SAP services worldwide, operating information and communication technology systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions.
