Sun Teams Up With KPMG For ERP

Sun Microsystems KPMG Consulting

Under the terms of the new global solutions alliance, Sun and McLean, Va.-based KPMG will deliver ERP solutions to Fortune 1000 and midmarket companies in the manufacturing, financial services and distribution markets, according to Sun.

KPMG also will create a global Sun storage practice to deliver solutions based on Sun StorEdge products to both vertical and horizontal markets, according to KPMG.

In the past year, Sun has been launching global solutions alliances with major systems integrators as part of its plan to combine its own Professional Services with the expertise of its partners. Sun Chairman and CEO Scott McNealy recently told CRN that this strategy of going to market with partners is fundamental to Sun and differentiates it from competing vendors such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard, which focus more on providing services.

"All of our go-to-market strategies are all about how we do work with the channel partners," McNealy said. "We're not trying to go more end user, we're trying to get more coordinated with our channel partners.

Sun already has global solutions alliances with EDS, PwC Consulting, Accenture and Deloitte Consulting. All of the alliances target areas in which the systems integrator has expertise, according to Sun. For example, the deal between Accenture and Sun provides joint CRM solutions because Accenture is strong in that market.

The KPMG alliance is the first to provide pre-configured solutions for ERP and managed services, since these are areas of focus for KPMG, according to Sun.