Organizations today need to manage complex IT portfolios, deliver rapid innovation, and effectively manage costs to remain competitive. SoftwareOne, once primarily a licensing and procurement partner, has quietly evolved into one of the most influential players in digital transformation and is supporting organizations as they achieve these goals. SAPinsider recently spoke with Oliver Berchtold, President of Software and Cloud at SoftwareOne, an industry veteran with over two decades of experience leading transformation. In the conversation, Berchtold offered insights into the company’s strategy, structure, and philosophy, explaining how SoftwareOne is carving a niche as an end-to-end orchestrator of enterprise modernization. “We have the ability to deliver everything from advisory services to implementation and optimization,” stated Berchtold. “And we can do this locally, globally, and in a scalable way.” As cloud architectures and enterprise applications become more complex, SoftwareOne provides a unified interface between strategy and execution. This includes cloud modernization, FinOps, digital workplace services, SAP transformation, and data and AI integration. This is delivered by a globally coordinated but regionally empowered model. Although SoftwareOne operates in over 65 countries, Berchtold emphasizes a local focus for the company. “Although we’re a global company we take a local approach in each region,” he explained. “We learn and see what is happening in each region, and our centers of excellence are embedded regionally. Regions are responsible for delivery and customer interaction, which go hand in hand, and we are focused on customer centricity.” Although SoftwareOne has strong relationships with each of the hyperscalers, the recently restructured SAP Center of Excellence (COE) has allowed them to take this regional approach with SAP customers. This is important because all regions are important, but each has different needs. For example, organizations in Brazil may have a need for different skills or have a different focus than those in Columbia or Peru. Some regions will have a stronger SAP focus than others, but SoftwareOne is working to ensure that no one region is emphasized over another. This COE approach is being followed across the company for the entire portfolio that is offered by SoftwareOne. This allows for interactions and knowledge to be aggregated and pulled together for the COE and shared regionally. Something highlighted by Berchtold for SAP customers is that a more structured approach is required than, for example, cloud transformation. Especially for ERP systems. All regions face the challenges and problems of managing a digital workplace and AI, but how that is approached varies. SAP customers in Germany and the DACH region have a different mindset than those in the US or in Asia. Some of that is driven by regulations, determining where organizations focus, but one complexity that is clear across regions is licensing on the cloud. Getting these cloud licensing challenges under control and effectively managed is a significant effort for businesses today. SoftwareOne helps manage licensing costs and optimize not only for cost and budget but for security as well. This helps drive outcomes for these companies and their customers. One overarching theme emphasized by Berchtold is that of hybrid cloud. According to Berchtold, “All the new technologies are cloud-based, so if you’re not in a hybrid environment than you will miss out on innovation.” An example provided by Berchtold is that of Microsoft Copilot and the large language models (LLM) that are needed for AI applications. It simply isn’t possible to deploy these on-prem. There are also very few companies that aren’t expecting to eventually move completely to the cloud, although most aren’t close to achieving that goal. But at the same time there is also a certain amount of decentralization to remove the dependence that caused failures like Crowdstrike. This is where Berchtold sees hybrid cloud being vital. When asked about what success looks like in 2025, Berchtold was unambiguous. “We offer customers an end-to end experience. Not only can they buy the license from us, we also provide advisory services, and do the implementation as well as the optimization.” The company’s strategic acquisitions—particularly in data and AI—signal its intent to lead, not just follow, the market’s next evolution. And its expanded service lines are all tied to one core idea: enabling intelligent, secure, cost-effective modernization. Perhaps most importantly, SoftwareOne is staying nimble in a world that rewards flexibility. “We’ve restructured, we’ve recalibrated, and we’re focused,” said Berchtold. “There’s never been a better time to be in our business.”

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Prioritize cloud licensing strategy and optimization. Cloud licensing can be complex and can vary across regions—potentially adding complexity for global organizations. Given that SAP’s own licensing can be complex and the ongoing shift towards cloud-based solutions such as SAP S/4HANA Cloud or RISE with SAP, customers should proactively address this. Partners like SoftwareOne have deep experience working with all the major cloud providers and can advise, manage, and optimize cloud licensing not just for cost savings but also for security compliance, ensuring that it aligns with overall cloud and transformation outcomes. Embrace a hybrid cloud approach for innovation. New technologies, especially AI, are cloud-based and will not function as effectively in on-premise environments. SAPinsiders looking to leverage these innovations alongside their core ERP systems should consider strategically adopting a hybrid cloud model. This will allow workloads to be maintained where needed while providing the ability to tap into cloud-native capabilities. This will allow for the adoption of technological advancements that have the potential to advance SAP data and processes. Adopt a structured and regionally tailored transformation plan. SAP and ERP transformations require a more structured approach than other cloud migrations. In addition, there are many regional differences around regulations and priorities that can impact customer needs. This makes it vital to ensure that any transformation roadmap is highly structured and considers regional nuances. Engaging with partners like SoftwareOne, which utilizes regional centers of excellence across their portfolio can help ensure that strategies are tailored and localized effectively.