IBM announced that SAP (News - Alert) has certified its capabilities to deliver and manage client’s implementation of SAP applications through a hosted delivery model and IBM’s Cloud Platforms.

According to SAP sources, IBM (News - Alert) can now enable global enterprises to leverage its hosted and cloud-based support of the entire SAP solution portfolio. The solution includes business software applications for customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, product lifecycle management, supply chain management and corporate services.

In a release Jim Comfort, IBM’s vice president of offering management for its outsourcing business said, “Clients looking to deploy SAP applications in the cloud can rely on IBM to help them manage, maintain and scale their solution requirements in a safe and secure cloud environment that allows for flexible services and lower operating costs.”

Comfort added, “Running SAP applications on IBM’s Cloud Platforms and services can help clients meet their business goals, explore new markets and drive growth.”

According to IBM sources in order to achieve these certifications, it had to go through extensive testing by SAP to validate its hosting and cloud computing infrastructures, processes and technical staff.

Also the audit process included a technical review of the physical and logical security processes supporting IBM’s application hosting and cloud environments that encompass servers, software and storage capabilities.

Kevin Ichhpurani, senior vice president, Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Global Ecosystem and Partner Group, SAP AG stated, “The certification of IBM as a global provider of cloud and hosting services confirms its knowledge, experience, capabilities and breadth of services for delivering SAP applications in a hosted, private cloud.”

Customers deploying SAP applications via IBM’s Cloud Platforms can use the comprehensive and innovative services that are scalable. These not only help save costs but also help meet their technical and security requirements, emphasized Ichhpurani.

IBM’s cloud computing offerings provide support to SAP applications and help clients to access templates for faster application development and secure deployment. This also improves the cost structure of application management on a usage basis.