Open source provider SUSE have partnered with Mint Technologies, SAB&T Tech and Microsoft data centers to assist local companies with the migration of SAP workloads to Azure. As per the terms of the deal, the consortium will provide programmes, skills and tools to local enterprises and leverage Microsoft’s two data centers in South Africa to provide easy access and fast delivery of cloud services.
SUSE say that since many African companies rely on cloud services outside the continent, local data centers are expected to be quick and reliable in providing access. They claim that in spite of the infrastructural challenges faced by the African market, enterprises can make the most out of tools and skills available at present.
By joining hands with Mint, SAB&T and Microsoft, SUSE believe that their SAP-native customers will be able to migrate workloads to Azure environments easily. They say that this alliance will set the trend for many enterprises in the market to deliver services that transform computing, storage and communication into utilities that are easily available through cloud resources as and when available.
SUSE claim that they will provide an SAP-optimised Linux operating system tuned for Azure by leveraging Microsoft data centers. They also say that Mint will deliver the required Azure expertise, SAP consulting and training, whereas SAB&T will offer SAP partner skills to support companies with the transition.
Speaking about this move, Matthew Lee, Cloud and Strategic Alliances Manager at SUSE, commented:
Given the infrastructure challenges that still exist in Africa, the cloud provides a viable alternative that addresses many business continuity concerns.
I believe that leveraging the respective skills of our four organisations will create an enabling environment for companies to easily and cost-effectively move to the Azure-based data centres.
Industry experts opine that the South African region is witnessing many activities that are expanding the cloud market. Looks like Microsoft SA (South Africa) have taken a sound route with this deal as far as responding to AWS’ expansion in the region is concerned.
It will be interesting to see how events unfold in this market with the cloud and data center race intensifying.