SAP turns sights to more state business

By ADAM GIFFORD

SAP New Zealand's new managing director intends to step up the company's efforts to sell software solutions to Government agencies.

Vivienne Gurrey, until last week New Zealand general manager of Geac, takes over from Geraldine McBride, who has become a senior vice-president with SAP in the United States.

Ms Gurrey said a priority would be to increase staff in the Wellington office, now about 15 compared with 40 in Auckland. She said the Government should not just talk about the knowledge economy but take the lead.

"They can lead by doing it. The best example they can give is modelling the solutions."

While SAP already had large state customers and a solid track record in the sector, she believed there was a big opportunity to link with the Government more closely in unlocking the potential of e-business.

"We're clearly seeing the Government looking to e-business, and SAP needs to up its game."

Ms Gurrey said her departure from Geac after three years was amicable and had nothing to do with that company's decision to scale back work on the New Zealand-developed Streamline ERP (enterprise resource planning) product. Up to half the developers of Streamline will be laid off at the end of this month, as the latest version is released.

She said she made the switch because of SAP's leadership in e-business, through its mySAP.com initiative to extend its core technologies to the internet.

"E-business is changing the business landscape.

"I want to be part of an organisation with the resources and flexibility to join that change."

She said mySAP.com gave SAP the products, resources and intellectual property to stay at the front of the business applications market.

"Over the next three to six months we will focus on e-business in our existing customers, as well as seek new business.

"My style is one of understanding a business and working through a credible solution," Ms Gurrey said.

"The majority of people you talk to about e-business talk about the technology. You'll see me focus on solutions. It's about selling solutions, not products. I believe I am the right person to lead that because of the drive and verve and energy I put behind everything."

Geraldine McBride said Ms Gurrey, with 20 years in the IT industry, had the qualities and track record SAP New Zealand needed as it began to roll out its mySAP.com internet solutions in the local market.

"While at Geac, Vivienne managed fundamental changes to the company's products and strategies - while at the same time achieving business growth of more than 40 per cent."

Links


mySAP.com