SAP expands ecosystem with Co-Innovation Lab in Bangalore

The lab has been running since October last year, offering a hands-on environment for SAP, ISVs (independent software vendors), system integrators and technology partners to work together with customers. Kush Desai, managing director of SAP Labs India, says that the co-innovation lab network was established to provide a physical environment for SAP, customers and partners to collaborate on solutions to address and solve today's business challenges. Expansion of the lab network around the globe broadens the pool of talent and brings an array of expertise and knowledge to the table, he says. "Working in synergy with our partners and customers and starting early in the development cycle helps us in building future products that address technology needs in a comprehensive manner," says Desai. Initially, SAP Bangalore will be working with partners including Arteria Technologies, Cisco, Cognizant, F5 Networks, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Intelligroup, KLG Systel., Larson & Toubro Infotech., MindTree, MobileOne, NetApp and Wipro Technologies. Asian Paints, India's largest paint company with operations in 21 countries, is already actively 'co-innovating' with SAP and partners in the lab, working on mobile systems. Its solution helps empower business users to make instant decisions in the field – while another project is linking Asian Paints' existing shopfloor control systems with SAP ERP to enable better reporting and decision-making. "The SAP Co-Innovation Lab is a unique project-based innovation environment that enabled collaboration among SAP experts, SAP partners and Asian Paints to pilot solutions that addressed some of our critical pain-points," comments Aashish Kshetry, general manager for systems at Asian Paints. "What has impressed us most is the fact that we have been able to manage these projects remotely using the lab's sophisticated landscape provisioning and its collaboration workspace framework."