Tags: Bangalore, Bellevue, ERP, Microsoft, Microsoft SQL Server, SAP, Washington, Wipro Limited, Wipro Technologies

Study Shows Considerable ROI Gains and TCO Reduction

BELLEVUE, Wash., and Bangalore March 18th, 2008 – Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT), today announced the results of their study, commissioned by Microsoft Corp., concluding that migrating an SAP ERP system to Microsoft® SQL Server can yield net benefits of $850K for a medium-size organization and $10 million for a large organization, all in a payback period of 9 to 15 months.

According to the research results, there are three sources that help reduce Total Cost of Ownership – software licensing (61-86% savings for Windows and SQL Server over UNIX and competing databases), IT labor costs (20-25% due to fewer personnel and bundled administration tools), and Microsoft infrastructure optimization (IO) best practices. These in turn help reduce annual unplanned downtime by 20-25%.

“Wipro has many SAP ERP customers worldwide. Those who have migrated to Windows and SQL Server report big TCO savings in software licensing and IT labor”, says Theo Forbath, Chief Strategist, Wipro Technologies. “Beyond the ROI gains, the bundled features in SQL and the reduced annual downtime make it easier for organizations to optimize IT processes, further reducing cost.”

The Wipro Product Strategy & Architecture (PSA) Practice – a division of Wipro Technologies – has more than 10 years experience in researching, analyzing, and documenting the business value of high-technology solutions. Wipro’s PSA practice helps enterprises and technology vendors develop innovative and effective product and IT strategies that enable them to expand their market opportunities, extend their competitive advantage, and economize their business operations.

Research Methodology Overview

Wipro PSA’s approach to this SAP ERP migration study was 3-fold: determine ongoing TCO of SQL Server versus competing databases; assess costs and risks of migrating to SQL Server; and turn to Wipro experts for guidance on best practices to optimize costs and reduce risks.

First, Wipro PSA interviewed IT administrators at 68 SAP ERP companies about their organization’s IT processes and support costs for hardware (servers and storage), software (OS and DB), IT labor (troubleshooting and administration), and downtime (planned and unplanned). Next, Wipro PSA probed 5 recently-migrated SAP ERP implementations with in-depth questions on the reasons, costs, risks, and best practices uncovered during migration to SQL Server.

Finally, PSA turned to the Data and Integration (D&I) practice at Wipro’s Microsoft Business Unit (MSBU) for guidance on mitigating OS and DB migration risks as well as best practices for utilizing and maintaining an SAP ERP system on SQL Server. Wipro MSBU, acknowledged as the largest dedicated .NET practice among Microsoft’s SI partners worldwide, is solely dedicated to developing and delivering award-winning implementations on the .NET platform and Windows Servers, including BizTalk Server, SharePoint Portal Server and SQL Server. MSBU’s D&I Practice, comprised of highly skilled database and integration professionals, specializes in offering custom solutions in the areas of Database, BI / Reporting, SOA, BPM, Enterprise Integration / Messaging, and Migration.

For complete study results, see the Microsoft SQL Server Migration Pays Big Dividends for SAP/ERP Customers® whitepaper. You may download it from http://www.wipro.com/pes/services/psa/thought_leadership.htm.

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About Wipro
Wipro Technologies, a division of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified global IT services organization. Wipro Technologies was recently assessed at Level 5 for CMMI V 1.2 across offshore and onsite development centers. Wipro is one of the largest product engineering and support service providers worldwide. Wipro provides comprehensive research and development services, IT solutions and services, including systems integration, information systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development, and maintenance services to corporations globally.

In the Indian market, Wipro is a leader in providing IT solutions and services for the corporate segment in India, offering system integration, network integration, software solutions and IT services.

Wipro also has a profitable presence in niche market segments of consumer products and lighting. In the Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets, Wipro provides IT solutions and services for global corporations. Wipro’s ADS’ are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and its equity shares are listed in India on the Stock Exchange – Mumbai, and the National Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit our websites at www.wipro.com and www.wiprocorporate.com.

Media Contact:

Wipro Technologies
India
Radhika Mahadevan
Wipro Technologies
+91- 9945042603
radhika.mahadevan {at} wipro(.)com

Sonali Madbhavi
Gutenberg Communications
+91 9844042850
sonali {at} gutenbergpr(.)com

US
Abhishek Mendiratta
Wipro Technologies
+ 1 732 789 8646
abhishek.mendiratta {at} wipro(.)com

Lavanya DJ
Gutenberg Communications
+ (212).239.8740
lavanya {at} gutenbergpr(.)com

UK
Rahul Kadavakolu
+44 792 020 5496
rahul.kadavakolu {at} wipro(.)com

Shalini Siromani

Gutenberg Communications

+44.79.6066.3200

shalini {at} gutenbergpr(.)com