The majority of existing SAP customers estimate that they are “possibly” to “very probably” exposed to financial risk in relation to SAP indirect use claims.

This is one of the key findings of a recent survey conducted amongst SAP customers and members of the German-speaking SAP user group (Deutschsprachige SAP Anwendergruppe or DSAG). A total of 61 firms responded to questions about their experiences so far and their risk assessment for the study, which was carried out by SecurIntegration. “Indirect use” refers to the accessing of SAP applications by third party systems, for example when an item is ordered from a shop system and a check is carried out in the SAP stock list to determine whether a product is available. According to SAP’s List of Prices and Conditions (LCP), this represents an additional user right which incurs the respective fees.

It is an issue which is complex, legally disputed and opaque, especially since in many firms using SAP applications, there are different LCPs and since the vast majority of customers are unclear about their current contractual conditions. The potential additional licensing claims mean that SAP customers are exposed to an incalculable financial risk. Related specialist publications as well as the study itself can be requested from www.SecurIntegration.com.

Strong interest in indirect use-related service packages

SecurIntegration, an USU Group company, offers the “Advanced Compliance Check” service to address issues in the area of indirect use. This service includes a commercial analysis of SAP contracts, a technical usage analysis in respect of indirect use, a needs analysis and a legal check of SAP claims. SecurIntegration CEO Guido Schneider explains, “We support our clients through their contractual negotiations with SAP with this transparent data. The aim is to find the solution which is the best outcome for our customers whilst being an acceptable economical option for both parties. We are currently experiencing strong demand for our indirect use-related services”.

SecurIntegration is a solutions provider specialising in SAP licence management, which applies technology and expertise to help businesses use SAP licences economically and compliantly. Managing heterogeneous SAP environments and carrying out system measurements whilst making usage and costs permanently transparent are key to achieving this goal. This is where our field-tested SAP Analysis and Optimization Technology SmartTrack License Control for SAP (SLC) comes in.

Together with Aspera, another USU company which is the global market leader in the software licence management segment, SecurIntegration is making it possible for both national and international business customers to benefit from a comprehensive, highly effective and integrated solution portfolio, delivered from a single source.