SAP taps former BearingPoint exec

SAP has appointed a former BearingPoint executive to lead the company’s public-sector operations.

The business software maker has named Rand Blazer president and general manager of SAP Public Services. His sales and field operations responsibilities will include the Defense Department, federal civilian agencies, homeland security, state and local governments, defense contractors, K-12 schools and higher education institutions. Blazer succeeds Steve Peck, who will lead SAP Americas’ Alliances division.

Blazer’s most recent executive role was at BearingPoint, where he was chairman and chief executive officer. He left that company in 2004.

Blazer said he sees growth across the board in government business software. In the area of enterprise resource planning, Blazer cited governments’ need for better visibility into and control over financial resources. He also pointed to greater standardization on commercial software as a factor in government-sector growth.

Blazer added that the government sector's business software demand includes case management and customer relationship management applications. SAP’s NetWeaver integration platform can bridge multiple business systems, he said.

Integrators such as BearingPoint specialize in implementing business software. Blazer said he will be on the other side now. But, he added, enterprise software deployment requires a partnership between software companies and consulting or integration firms.

“I think it helps to have a view of both,” he said.

SAP will maintain alliances with consultants and integrators such as Accenture, BearingPoint, Deloitte Consulting and EDS, Blazer said. Partnerships with defense contractors will also be part of the mix.