Software giants SAP SE and VMware Inc. are teaming up to launch a new enterprise-focused “internet of things” initiative that encompasses devices, the cloud, infrastructure and other applications.

The two companies said their new partnership is all about accelerating and streamlining enterprise internet of things initiatives. The goal, they said, is to enable “fast deployment, scalability and on-schedule execution” of enterprise internet of things projects.

To achieve this, the two companies are planning to offer customers new internet of things services that incorporate SAP’s analytics, business transaction and device data with VMware’s operational systems, including the holistic analytics it generates.

SAP and VMware said they’re particularly keen to deliver a product that enables the rapid deployment of internet of things architecture across the cloud, gateways and micro data centers with ironclad security and easy management capabilities. This new system will “drastically help speed up time to value,” the companies claimed.

Both companies already possess significant expertise in internet of things. SAP’s cloud platform, for example, is used to help analyze sensor data gathered by Parkinformationssysteme GmbH in Vienna, and also to manage a smartPORT logistics platform in the port of Hamburg in Germany.

As for VMware, it’s currently involved in a range of internet of things projects, including a partnership with U.S. universities that’s focused on the development of new systems to manage diagnostic medical equipment. It also works with its parent company Dell Technologies Inc. to provide monitoring systems for the Dell Edge Gateway service. VMware also recently unveiled its Pulse IoT Center, which is an enterprise-grade internet of things infrastructure management platform that provides more granular control over internet of things devices and networks.

“Companies win when they can make intelligent real-time decisions at the edge; SAP Leonardo supports that bold innovation,” said Nils Herzberg, senior vice president and global head of internet of things Go-to-Market & Strategic Partnerships at SAP. “As customers start to implement, one obstacle to realizing that vision is tackling infrastructure lifecycle and management outside of the traditional data center.”

SAP’s partnership with VMware builds on an announcement last month that it’s planning to open up its blockchain as a service platform for internet of things applications. SAP believes that blockchain technology will be useful to help combine the various protocols and requirements of different IoT systems.

Image: geralt/pixabay