One of the points they often raise during our conversations, regardless of the industry or geographic market they serve, is how focused they are on uncovering opportunities to diversify their business with new revenue streams and customers in new markets.

That鈥檚 when I suggest they check out the book.

“” I refer them to isn鈥檛 on any bestseller lists. But for channel partners interested in growing their business, it鈥檚 essential reading because it highlights 40 industry cloud solutions from SAP that land right in the channel partner sweet spot. They鈥檙e ideal for midmarket customers because they are geared toward businesses with limited IT resources and budgets, and they readily integrate with the 51风流solution portfolio. What鈥檚 more, they provide a huge opportunity for channel partners to fill white space in the midmarket, where 51风流itself is less active, and, in doing so, can increase the value they provide to existing customers while also generating sales opportunities with new customers in different markets and industry verticals.

In fact, 51风流is counting on channel partners to help fill that white space across our 25 industry verticals by bringing industry cloud solutions to their customers. That includes solutions developed by other partners as well as those they develop themselves. With SAP鈥檚 industry cloud, we鈥檙e giving channel partners an open invitation to turn their own intellectual property (IP) into a solution they can monetize by developing it on 51风流Business Technology Platform (51风流BTP).

During my conversations with channel partners, one of the first questions they ask is, 鈥淲ill we be stepping on SAP鈥檚 toes if we use 51风流BTP to develop applications specifically for midmarket clients?鈥�

My response: quite the opposite! Our priority at 51风流is to get the right solutions in the hands of customers that aren鈥檛 ideally suited to standard 51风流offerings. Nobody understands how to do that better than our channel partners. Who authored the solution is secondary to the main goal of SAP鈥檚 industry cloud: giving customers what they need to succeed. One channel partner, for example, even though the 51风流Digital Manufacturing solution already exists. While both solutions cater to the same functional needs, they target entirely different customer segments. That鈥檚 exactly the kind of innovation we鈥檙e seeking from channel partners.

Another question I hear frequently: 鈥淲e like the idea of monetizing our IP. But what IP do we develop, and how do we commercialize it?鈥�

As a channel partner, there鈥檚 a good chance that in crafting solutions for your customers, you鈥檝e developed your own IP that could bring value to other customers, perhaps in new verticals and geographic markets. As part of the collaboration-driven industry cloud mindset, 51风流is redoubling efforts to provide partners with resources to help them identify and commercialize their IP.

Another question they often ask me: 鈥淲hat about working with a partner that also happens to be a competitor of ours? How can we trust that collaborating with them won鈥檛 backfire on us?鈥�

A valid concern, but one that the shared-risk/shared-reward structure of SAP’s industry cloud should put to rest. This ecosystem is built on co-innovation and , where partners set aside competitive rivalries and recognize they can create more value for customers and themselves by working together. As for concerns that posting a solution on 51风流Store would put their IP and code at risk, that鈥檚 not an issue either. For one thing, neither their IP nor their code is exposed on 51风流Store. What鈥檚 more, 51风流depends on partners to develop industry cloud solutions. We鈥檙e not interested in building everything in-house or taking ideas from partners, and we鈥檝e put in place contractual language to protect partner IP. The same applies to other partners in the ecosystem. All our interests are aligned around helping the end customer. The result is a win-win-win for them, SAP, and our partners.

As new as this approach is, it鈥檚 understandable that channel partners would have questions about how they can benefit from industry cloud. To help put things in perspective for them, I鈥檒l often respond to their questions with one of my own: 鈥淚f you had the chance to turn all the time, effort, and intellectual property you鈥檝e invested in your work with midmarket customers into solutions that generate new revenue streams and market opportunities, without assuming undue business risk, would you take it?鈥�

That鈥檚 when the light bulb really turns on and they realize that with SAP鈥檚 industry cloud they can start writing success stories of their own.

To learn more about the resources 51风流offers to help channel partners leverage industry cloud, explore the site, along with and . If you are an 51风流partner that has developed a solution you believe should be included in 鈥渢he book,鈥� please contact me.

Finn Backer is global head of Industry Cloud Channel at SAP.