SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities available in ANZ

SAP has announced the general availability of its sovereign cloud capabilities in Australia and New Zealand, investing in up to 70 new full-time specialist roles.

Sovereign cloud capabilities from SAP meet the requirements of government and highly regulated industries, providing managed services and cloud solutions to Australian and New Zealand customers within the sovereign borders of Australia.

Governments, State and Federal, and highly regulated industry customers will be among the first organisations to access SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities. 

SAP highlights that highly regulated industry organisations and government jurisdictions are increasingly subject to cybersecurity reporting and security risk management, including data residency consideration.  

Investment in SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities recognises the growing need for hardened platforms to strengthen the cybersecurity of customers operating in highly regulated environments. 

The new service can store and process PROTECTED-level workloads, ensuring business-critical and personal data are not transferred outside Australia without explicit customer consent. 

SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities are currently available for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Analytics Cloud solutions, and Business Technology Platform.

The announcement builds on SAP's cloud momentum globally, with the cloud now being the company's top revenue stream. SAP's cloud-centric strategy and business portfolio help customers address challenges, from cloud-based innovation to bolstering supply chain resilience and building sustainability into the core of the business.

SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities leverage the portfolio of hyperscalers certified as Strategic through the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Hosting Certification Framework (HCF). They are assessed for up to and including PROTECTED workloads. 

Damien Bueno, President and Managing Director of SAP Australia and New Zealand, says: "With increased focus on supply chains, skills, and business innovation, many of our customers are choosing to digitise their operations to manage the pace of change by leveraging advanced cloud applications and platforms." 

"Those in highly regulated sectors and organisations seeking supply chain assurance have historically found it a challenge to fully leverage cloud advancements due to heightened regulatory, data sovereignty, and cybersecurity requirements." 

"Many of these customers are longstanding and strategic partners of SAP, and we closely identify with their ambition to be progressive and deliver high quality and more responsive services in an environment where the bar for digital engagement and productivity rises continuously." 

"With SAP's global investment in sovereign cloud capabilities, we are offering these organisations in ANZ the opportunity to capitalise on the existing portfolio of SAP's leading business processes delivered and supported as a service within the sovereign borders of Australia," says Bueno.

Perry Singh, President of Government and Defence, Toll Group, says: "With a growing focus on cybersecurity resilience within our own business and among some of our largest Government and Defence clients, we knew we needed a solution that would provide heightened cybersecurity capabilities." 

"SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities were a clear choice for us as an extension of Toll Group's existing SAP S/4HANA environment and one that mirrored the environment of our largest government clients." 

"Its strong cybersecurity capabilities also provide us and our clients with the assurances we need to navigate an increasingly challenging cyber threat landscape," says Singh.

Amanda Williamson, IBM Australia's Business Transformation Partner and SAP Service Area Lead, says: "As companies embrace a hybrid cloud approach, they're also seeking partners with the expertise to help them meet the data and security access required in their local jurisdictions." 

"Our longstanding partnership with SAP has helped many companies, including those in highly regulated industries like Toll Group, securely modernise their cloud environments." 

"IBM Consulting looks forward to bringing our expertise to help more ANZ clients benefit from SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities in Australia, respond to today's challenges where regulations are changing rapidly and cyberthreats are evolving at unprecedented levels," says Williamson.

SAP's sovereign cloud capabilities are currently available in North America (delivered via SAP NS2) and now in Australia for Australian and New Zealand government entities and highly regulated industries. 

Further markets will be announced soon and continuously evaluated based on customer demand.