VAR 500 Roundup: IBM Wins Sunoco Contract, Accenture Supports SAP System, And More

Summer Heat For VAR 500

August ends on a high note for VARs. Among the highlights: IBM inked a deal with Sunoco to help with the oil company's back office processes and Glasshouse offered a new tool to help customers with cloud computing.

IBM Fuels Sonoco With Services Deal

IBM (2010 VAR500 rank: 1) will provide managed business process services and application support services to Sunoco, to help the oil giant drive improvements to a number of its back office processes.

As part of the agreement, IBM will provide services to Sunoco from its global operations centers, so Sunoco can better manage its application enhancement, application maintenance, finance and accounting, and indirect procurement processes.

"Our partnership is focused on delivering business process optimization and application services on a global basis in order to help Sunoco gain improved efficiencies through a more variable-cost business model, drive market differentiation and improve their operational excellence," Rick Rosso, (left), vice president, IBM Managed Business Process Services, said in a statement.

Accenture Wins Contract To Support SAP System

Accenture (2010 VAR500 rank: 5) has signed a three-year application outsourcing contract with Norsk Hydro ASA, one of the world's leading integrated aluminum companies. The agreement covers support and maintenance of two of Hydro's SAP systems globally. The agreement is designed to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Hydro’s SAP-based business processes through an approach that offers higher quality and innovation. The services will be provided to Hydro users in multiple countries by Accenture’s Global Delivery Network, using centers in Germany and India. The delivery of the outsourced services is scheduled to begin in October 2010. ’When selecting our supplier we have focused particularly on innovation, industry competency, flexibility, global presence and a mature industrialized delivery and operations approach that is cost competitive,’ said Stig Heggelund, (left), CIO, Hydro.

Click! Fiserv's Got Your Check

Fiserv (2010 VAR500 rank: 35) has launched Mobile Source Capture, a downloadable application for camera-equipped smartphones that lets users securely take a picture of the front and back of a check and deposit the item electronically, without ever having to visit a branch or an ATM.

Users of Mobile Source Capture can deposit checks instantly from wherever they are to the financial institution for processing, clearing, settlement and posting. The app is being initially targeted at clients seeking a customized or stand-alone solution, typically large financial institutions, or any institution with a strong focus on mobile innovation.

Atos Moves Into Indian Payment Market

Atos Origin (2010 VAR500 rank: 21) has acquired Venture Infotek, an Indian payment transaction vendor, for an undisclosed cash sum.

The annual average growth rate of the market was 25 percent during the last three years.

Venture Infotek operates merchant acquiring, card processing, loyalty programs, government benefits programs on behalf of the Indian banks and major retailers. The company expects revenue of EUR 30 million for 2011. Venture Infotek, with roughly 500 employees, will be integrated into Atos Wordline, Atos Origin's Hi-Tech Transactional Services and electronic payments division.

Glasshouse Tool Clarifies the Cloud

GlassHouse Technologies, (2010 VAR500 rank: 269) debuted its Cloud Insight tool, part of GlassHouse’s Cloud Snapshot and Cloud Impact Analysis services, which provides businesses a report outlining preparedness, best practices, strategies and next steps for organizations looking to implement cloud computing.

’Each company’s IT environment is unique and as a result, it is critical to develop a tailored cloud computing strategy,’ said Mark Shirman, (left), CEO of GlassHouse (pictured). ’Our Cloud Insight tool helps provide businesses with the answers they are looking for prior to, and during a cloud migration to ensure that the organization is taking the right steps to prepare for, and execute a successful cloud implementation.’

ePlus Earns Customer Kudos From Cisco

ePlus Technology (2010 VAR500 rank: 85) has earned a Customer Satisfaction Excellence Gold Star from Cisco.

’Customer service is a cornerstone of the Cisco Resale Channel Program. We are pleased to recognize and congratulate ePlus for achieving outstanding customer satisfaction,’ said Edison Peres, (left), senior vice president of the worldwide channels go-to-market group at Cisco. Cisco's Gold Star recognizes high customer satisfaction levels achieved by its Gold, Silver, and Premier Certified partners based on regional target goals.