LICENSING SAP
Indirect Access / Digital Access
SAP Licensing
Supporting Business
The use of SAP software via third-party systems interfaced to SAP is known as Indirect Access or Indirect Usage.
The definitions that give rise to Indirect Access licensing risk lie in the contract and are not always clear and obvious. As such many organisations are not aware that this type of usage may need to be licensed. As such Indirect Access licensing fees can be significant and unexpected.
More recently SAP has provided an output, or document, based model to licensing this use and refers to it as Digital Access.
The primary aim of our Indirect Access service is to prove compliant usage, where a business case would be written to support that conclusion. Other outcomes can be to assess the veracity of any existing SAP claim and to advise on an engagement and negotiation strategy for the best possible outcome.
JNC has an excellent track record in successfully addressing and dismantling SAP Indirect Access claims in full, or significantly reducing their cost. In some Indirect Access cases we have dealt with six to nine figures.
Indirect Access Defence
The Indirect Access defence service is designed for clients who have already been approached by SAP regarding potential unlicensed Indirect Access or who have been presented with a claim for unlicensed Indirect Access by SAP.
JNC offers a number of services to organisations who want to address Indirect Access.
Indirect Access / Digital Access
There are three typical reasons to engage with JNC regarding Indirect Access:
Indirect Access Risk Assessment
The purpose of an Indirect Access Risk Assessment is to determine whether SAP usage is linked to third-party systems and interfaces which SAP may consider to be Indirect Access. A concurrent contract review looks at the inclusions, exclusions, specific wordings, and clauses and how any Indirect Access may be covered or not.
A basic contract review looks at the contractual inclusions, exclusions, specific wordings, and clauses which could give rise to indirect access licensing risk or permit that kind of usage.
The business workshop involves engaging with integration specialists and systems owners to identify possible Indirect Access. The Risk Report summarises the contract review and business workshop findings, associated findings and recommended next steps.
Indirect Access Review
The purpose of a full Indirect Access Review is to perform a comprehensive evaluation of Indirect Access risk and to quantify any potential Indirect Access risks. With actual risk quantified real decisions can be made about the most effective strategy for dealing with it.
The Process
This process includes a more comprehensive contract review. All contract documentation including all order forms are reviewed. The business workshop and systems evaluation look at creating a full map of all interfaces to and from the SAP software and the third-party application.
The nature of the usage and the exchange of data is evaluated and documented.
Each interface is categorised as low, medium or high risk. The Indirect Access Report provides a summary of findings and risks including quantification of the potential risk.
The report also contains remediation actions for medium and high risks identified. This section also contains reasoning as to why the low risk interfaces have been classified as such.
Indirect Access Impact Assessment
Talk to JNC about your future enterprise systems technology roadmap and applications integration strategy to understand the impact your future plans will have on licensing. JNC will perform a contract review to establish any potential Indirect Access risks.
We will provide a report suggesting how to design your interfaces and any associated license implications.
JNC can also provide advice and guidance on target outcomes and negotiation strategies to ensure organisations get a good deal on the licensing required to support future technology developments. Don’t rely on your SAP sales rep to offer you the best deal!
JNC SAP License Measurement Simulation
An Indirect Access Review is an optional component of an SAP License Measurement Simulation.
For organisations who want a full enterprise-wide view of compliancy including Indirect Access risk, an SAP License Management Service is advised.
Click the link below to view our Management service.
Expert Witness Legal Support
If an Indirect Access dispute has already escalated to legal litigation, JNC can act as an expert witness.
JNC has supported many clients in conjunction with some of the world’s top law firms in cases where SAP has made non-compliant license claims. Our expertise can be the key to building and presenting a successful case.
