The VAR Guy

In addition to writing this daily blog, The VAR Guy occasionally moonlights as a moderator of IT roundtables. On Tuesday, he was leading a discussion of SAP managers on Duet, the new software from Microsoft and SAP that combines the power and functionality of SAP’s ERP suite with the ease of use and ubiquity of Office. While the SAP techies in attendance mostly represented large enterprise accounts, an SAP representative at the event noted that his company often works closely with VARs and integrators to implement SAP for smaller accounts. He even pointed out that the majority of SAP installations take place at accounts with fewer than 1,000 employees.

Demand for software integration expertise remains high. That’s why HP has announced plans to buy Knightsbridge Solutions, an IT consulting shop specializing in business intelligence and data warehousing. Although Knightsbridge doesn’t actually resell hardware, it’s an upscale version of what a lot of CompTIA members already do–or aspire to do. Why would HP find Knightsbridge attractive when it already has a $15 billion-a-year IT services business of its own? For the same reason SAP works with services-oriented channel companies–because more and more customers (even smaller ones) require significant handholding and customized solutions to make their IT investments work.