The Customer Magazine 3|2010
The Joy of Cirque
From its modest beginnings in a remote town in northern Québec to Broadway and Vegas, Cirque du Soleil has rocketed to international acclaim as one of the most innovative global entertainment businesses.
Turning Challanges into Opportunities
Emerging economies need strong government leadership to drive socioeconomic development. According to Dr. Philemon Mjwara, director general of South Africa's Department of Science and Technology (DST), there is significant evidence that information and communication technology (ICT) can stimulate this process.
The New Digital Wonderland
Web 2.0 is already passé, at least in comparison to the impending Internet of Things and Internet of Services. These phenomena will radically change the business world and our everyday lives - including providing new opportunities for growth.
03.05.2010
Gaining an Edge through the VNSG
By: Sarah Kellman
Gaining an Edge through IT: At first glance, the theme of this year’s gathering of the Dutch-speaking SAP user group appears deceptively simple. But its message is actually quite sophisticated: If customers want to be innovative within their companies from an IT perspective, alignment between business and IT is critical.
Exhibition and Event: VNSG Congress in Maastricht (photo: Manon Pulles Photography)
There was a robust program of customer presentations and keynote speakers on offer at the annual congress of the VNSG (Vereniging Nederlandstalige SAP Gebruikers) held in Maastricht, the Netherlands from April 8-9. Nearly 1,900 members of the Dutch-speaking SAP user community gathered to share knowledge and network with their peers. Business cases and implementation stories presented by such major corporations as Philips, Heineken, Tommy Hilfiger, and Unilever were tangible proof of the VNSG’s commitment to helping its traditionally technology-focused attendees gain a competitive edge on the business side.
Many aspects of the congress were doubtless familiar to the attendees. But with established players taking on new roles, there were several marked differences to conferences past. In January of this year, VNSG head Tonnie van der Horst was appointed as chairman of SUGEN (SAP User Group Executive Network). And with the appointment in February 2010 of Jim Hagemann Snabe and Bill McDermott as co-CEOs, there’s new leadership at SAP as well. Both van der Horst and Snabe were among the speakers during the opening plenary session at this year’s congress, offering complementary insights into the relationship between SAP and its growing user community.
On the change in SAP’s top leadership, van der Horst observed: “We’ve seen active support for interaction with the user communities from both Jim and Bill in the past. We know they have a vested interest in aligning with customers – and a vested interest in doing so through user communities. So we are very confident that we can continue working collaboratively with them in their new roles.”
Comment
cforms contact form by delicious:days