Business and Marketing

It's one of 16 new data centers the software company will open this year to meet a 39% increase in demand for cloud services.

SAP invests heavily in new data centers.

SAP, the world's fourth largest software company according to Gartner, today announced it would open its first Canadian data center to meet intensified demand for cloud-based software. Canadian government information as well as data from private sector companies will be hosted there by the end of the year.

The Canadian center will run a number of solutions from SAP's SuccessFactors unit, as well as platforms from partner Big Data companies such as PHEMI. SAP recently announced that its cloud-related business had grown 39% and that it would be widening its footprint with 16 new data centers worldwide.

"We're seeing more and more Canadian companies moving their business into the cloud as they continue to adopt innovative technology as part of their growth strategy,” says Bob Elliott, managing director of SAP Canada. "Our customers range from government agencies to healthcare and financial services, and almost all of them have strict data security requirements and need this information to reside in Canada.”

This will be the fourth new data center opened by SAP this year, following installations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Sydney.

Business Breaking News: Time to Rebrand? Follow These 3 Steps

One of the first things you must do when you launch a business is develop and market your own unique company brand. As the business evolves and grows, its present state may not accurately reflect the brand you built when you started. When this happens, you might need to rebrand.

"A rebrand is a large undertaking regardless of [company] size, so it's not for every business," said Nina Brakel-Schutt, branding expert at digital asset management company Widen Enterprises. "A small business might consider a rebrand if it changes its business model, product or service offering, or if it merges with another small business in the same industry, but now has a broader offering."

Before you make a decision about rebranding, it's important to consider the cost and ROI of such a drastic change, as well as any potential marketplace confusion that might arise because of the change, Brakel-Schutt said. If you do decide to take the plunge and rebrand your business, you'll go through three key phases: identify, articulate and act. [Rebranding Lessons from Tribe Hummus]

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