IBM and SAP have announced a new strategic collaboration to facilitate the migration of SAP S/4HANA ERP systems from IBM Power Systems on-premises infrastructures to cloud environments using the IBM Power Virtual Server platform. This new service, named RISE with SAP on IBM Power Virtual Server, promises to reduce the transition time to less than 90 days and provide organizations with a more agile, secure, and scalable business transformation.
A Solution for Modern ERP Challenges
The solution is designed to help businesses modernize their ERP processes with the backing of advanced technology from IBM and SAP. By leveraging the capabilities of IBM Power Virtual Server, which combines high performance, security, and scalability, customers will be able to manage mission-critical workloads in a SAP-certified cloud environment, thus accelerating the adoption of SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
The value proposition includes:
- Fast and Secure Migration: A streamlined process that minimizes risks and reduces migration times.
- Cost Optimization: IBM has reported a 30% reduction in infrastructure and related operational costs during a global internal migration project.
- High Reliability: IBM Power Servers are rated as the most reliable infrastructure among SAP-certified platforms.
Impact for Customers
Customers implementing this solution will benefit from better performance of their enterprise applications and increased agility to respond to market changes. By integrating this technology, businesses will optimize their internal operations, improve process automation, and facilitate the use of artificial intelligence in their business models.
IBM also highlighted that the global transition to SAP S/4HANA Cloud in its own internal operations—a project covering 175 countries and impacting more than 150,000 users—served as a case study to validate the effectiveness of this collaboration. During this project, IBM Consulting led the implementation, demonstrating that the transition can be managed safely and efficiently even in the most complex environments.
A Support and Collaboration Ecosystem
In addition to working directly with SAP, IBM is collaborating with global integrators and technology partners to facilitate the deployment and migration of RISE with SAP projects. The new IBM Transformation Suite for SAP Applications will provide advanced tools to assess current environments, migrate data, and conduct automated testing.
This collaboration also addresses customer needs to meet the 2030 sustainability agenda by offering energy-efficient infrastructure solutions that reduce the environmental impact of operations.
Availability and Next Steps
The official launch of RISE with SAP on IBM Power Virtual Server is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025, along with a personalized investment program that IBM will offer to customers interested in starting their transition to the cloud.
For many companies, this initiative marks a milestone in the modernization of their ERP processes, enabling a smooth transition to a more dynamic, sustainable, and AI-driven business model.
via: IBM