SAP has named Barry Padgett to serve as president of SMB solutions -- a new position that likely signals deeper engagements with small and midsize customers. The big question: Where will channel partners fit in Padgett's SMB go-to-market strategy?
Padgett now oversees such platforms as SAP Business One, Anywhere and Business ByDesign. He previously held executive-level posts at Concur Technologies, which SAP acquired in 2014.
"With customers increasingly expecting real-time service from all companies, regardless of size, SMB business owners need to respond, without having large, internal IT organizations to support their efforts," said Padgett. "I'm very excited to help drive this new organization focused on meeting the needs of SMBs with front-office and back-office solutions designed specifically for them."
SAP and rival Oracle are best known in the enterprise IT market. Overall, Oracle hasn't done much in the small business market. SAP, in stark contrast, looks to be getting more aggressive in the small business sector -- with Padgett leading the charge.
Direct reports to Padgett include:
- EJ Jackson, head of SAP Anywhere;
- Luis Murguia, head of SAP Business One;
- Michael Schmitt, head of SAP Business ByDesign; and
- Rob Chu, global head of SMB development and support.
Meaghan Sullivan
ChannelE2E is checking to see if our how the announcement evolves SAP's existing SME (small and midsize enterprise) channel strategy. Meaghan Sullivan, VP of global SME and partner marketing, recently described the strategy in this ChannelE2E podcast.
