To further expand the relationship with a range of new growth initiatives and investments aligned to Microsoft strategy
Bengaluru: Sonata Software Ltd., a global IT services and technology solutions company, announced 30 years of relationship with Microsoft, and a commitment to invest aggressively in a business that Sonata had identified ahead of the curve and has helped drive growth. A relationship that started in India in 1991 has today blossomed into a worldwide 360-degree one, spanning industries, technologies, and geographies. Currently, Sonata not only provides services to Microsoft across product engineering, customer support, and internal IT applications but has a deep global relationship across continents, industries and services being a global ISV, SI, lSP, CSP and ISV dev centre.
For Sonata, the key to this success has been aligning continuously to Microsoft’s strategy and making investments proactively, organically, and inorganically. Today the Sonata global go-to-market strategy based on its proprietary digital transformation concept – Platformation, is totally aligned to the Microsoft digital transformation strategy of engaging customers, empowering employees, optimizing operations, and transforming products across the pillars of modern work, Applications, and infrastructure, Data & AI and business applications. This has been done through a variety of initiatives from working closely with product engineering teams of Microsoft to leverage the knowledge for building deep expertise, build industry-leading technology practices around platform engineering on Azure and Dynamics 365, providing engineering services to ISVs wanting to migrate to the Microsoft platform.
Srikar Reddy, MD & CEO, Sonata Software, said “The relationship with Microsoft is one of Sonata’s most important journeys – 30 years old and still going strong. What has helped us succeed is our understanding of Microsoft’s vision, and our investments in acquiring companies, building skills, and capabilities to align and execute to that vision. Having identified and invested in an opportunity ahead of the curve, the focus is now to expand this relationship across geographies, technologies, and industries, making further investments organically and inorganically and derive maximum advantage from a huge and growing market opportunity. ”
Sonata has continued to invest and grow in IPs like Brick & Click, Modern Distribution, CTRM (Commodity Trading and Risk Management), Connected field services, Franchisee retail, Project Accounting for the services Industry.
Talking about Sonata’s expertise in taking Microsoft offerings to market, PVSN Raju, Chief Delivery Officer, Sonata Software, said “Sonata is certified across 18 Microsoft offerings, and is now among a select list of global partners that have achieved specialized accreditation across many of these, which are critical to Microsoft’s growth plans, like Windows Virtual Desktop and Azure certifications.”
Sonata started early in identifying a growth opportunity in Microsoft technologies and to create differentiation, has been investing in acquisitions, IP Development, Industry specialisation, Global and Local Partnerships and New Geo and Market Expansion.
In 2015 Sonata expanded its footprint in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem with I.B.I.S.’s leading supply chain software and services provider, renowned for its proprietary Advanced Supply Chain Software solution. Sonata established its first US development facility in Redmond to get closer to Microsoft and enable deeper engagement and entered into a partnership with a Denmark–based consulting firm to implement end-to-end Dynamics 365 solutions in the region. The recent strategic acquisition of Australia-based Scalable Data Systems and US-based Sopris Systems has significantly augmented their Microsoft Dynamics 365 capabilities across the areas of F&O and Field Service, respectively. Scalable Data Systems’ IP for the Commodities Trading Industry and Sopris’ capabilities in Field Service, one of the fastest-growing areas of Dynamics 365 has helped in taking Microsoft solutions to customers in newer segments.
Laura Pfohl, Co-Founder and President of US-based Sopris Systems, a company that Sonata acquired in 2019, said “We have now a much larger market to target, with a wide portfolio of Microsoft services that Sonata brings, like Dynamics Modernisation, Data and Cloud. And an ability to support global service industry customers. Sonata’s unique Platformation model has helped us transform our solution into a digital transformation platform rather than a pointed solution”.
Brett Crew, CEO of Australia-based Scalable Data Systems another Sonata acquisition, said “We had a strong local presence and technical capability already in Microsoft Dynamics. Overnight we scaled to be part of a team of over 4,000+ with more than 2,500 Microsoft skilled resources, across 18 Gold competencies and a global systems integrator. We are enabled to be strategic digital partners to our customers, leveraging Microsoft technologies and platforms beyond Dynamics including data, analytics, cloud, modernization and process automation. We can scale quickly and deliver globally. This is driving compounding growth for us with Microsoft. Additionally, with Sonata we are able to invest and grow our commodity trading solution for Dynamics faster, allowing us to service larger customers globally and realize our goals of delivering our commodity platform for industry around the world.”
With Microsoft’s increased focus on industry-led go-to-market, Sonata has aligned its cloud and data services to its unique Platformation model of digital transformation. Their consulting services are now aligned to the catalyst business transformation services of Microsoft.
Sonata continues to look at an inorganic strategy aligned to its Microsoft alliance led growth strategy focussed on both geographic expansion and technology expansion on cloud and data led acquisition.
Ranganath Puranik, Chief Growth Officer, Sonata Software sums it up “At 30, we are just beginning to tango & the goal of the tango is perfect harmony with one’s partner.”
