Nokia, SAP and Microsoft Sign Strategic Agreement to Accelerate Cloud and AI Transformation

Nokia, SAP and Microsoft have entered into a multi-year strategic agreement aimed at significantly modernizing Nokia’s enterprise IT infrastructure through cloud technologies, SAP ERP and artificial intelligence. The agreement demonstrates how major international companies are moving from traditional ERP landscapes to cloud platforms capable of supporting advanced analytics, automation and AI-driven solutions.

As part of the collaboration, Nokia will adopt RISE with SAP, while its enterprise SAP S/4HANA ERP system will run on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

For Nokia, this is not simply a matter of moving ERP to the cloud. It represents a comprehensive transformation of its business systems – covering processes and data as well as application architecture and the operating model.

What the Strategic Agreement Includes

Nokia’s transition to RISE with SAP is intended to provide a structured approach to modernizing its ERP environment and establish a foundation for further development of the company’s digital capabilities.

The collaboration includes:

• adoption of RISE with SAP for comprehensive ERP modernization;
• deployment of SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azure;
• modernization of mission-critical business processes and enterprise applications;
• centralized management of enterprise data;
• improved scalability and performance of the IT infrastructure;
• enhanced capabilities for enterprise AI adoption;
• development of analytics and automation based on cloud technologies;
• access to new functionality and AI services within the SAP cloud ecosystem.

Why Cloud ERP Is Becoming the Foundation for AI

For modern businesses, artificial intelligence cannot be effectively scaled without a high-quality corporate data foundation and systems for managing business processes.

ERP systems generate a significant share of the data required by AI: sales, procurement, inventory, finance, manufacturing, suppliers, customers and operational performance data.

Therefore, ERP modernization is no longer simply a software upgrade. It is about creating the digital foundation on which a company can scale automation, analytics and artificial intelligence.

This is why the combination of SAP S/4HANA, RISE with SAP and Microsoft Azure is strategically important for Nokia. A cloud architecture enables a more flexible IT environment in which enterprise data, ERP processes, analytics and AI can operate as an interconnected ecosystem.

Why This Agreement Matters for the ERP Market

Until a few years ago, ERP was often viewed primarily as a system for accounting, financial management and operational record-keeping.

That approach is changing.

Modern ERP must provide a unified information environment connecting finance, sales, procurement, inventory, manufacturing, logistics, CRM, management accounting and analytics.

This is also how DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS approaches ERP implementation for small and medium-sized businesses. For DBS, ERP is not simply software that needs to be installed. It is the digital foundation on which a company can build control, automation, analytics and future scalability.

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS specializes in implementing and developing SAP Business One for small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine and Europe. The company provides solutions covering finance, CRM, sales, procurement, inventory, manufacturing, project management, budgeting and analytics.

What Nokia’s Approach Changes

Through RISE with SAP, Nokia is adopting a structured approach to transforming its ERP environment.

The key elements of this transformation include:

• modernization of the ERP architecture;
• migration of mission-critical enterprise systems to a cloud environment;
• centralization and more effective use of enterprise data;
• optimization of business processes;
• scalable IT infrastructure;
• improved performance and operational resilience;
• use of SAP’s embedded AI capabilities;
• creation of a foundation for further automation and analytics.

Microsoft Azure serves as the cloud foundation for Nokia’s transformation. SAP states that Azure is intended to provide the scale, security and performance required for mission-critical enterprise workloads.

What This Trend Means for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Small and medium-sized businesses do not need to replicate Nokia’s architecture or implement SAP S/4HANA to follow the same principle.

For an SMB, what matters much more is selecting the right ERP platform and designing an architecture that matches the company’s actual scale and requirements.

This is where SAP Business One can provide a practical solution for companies looking to move from disconnected applications, Excel spreadsheets and manual operations to a unified management system.

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS implements SAP Business One for companies that need to bring key business processes together within a single information environment.

Depending on the company’s requirements, ERP can cover:

• financial and management accounting;
• sales and CRM;
• procurement;
• inventory and warehouse management;
• manufacturing and MRP;
• logistics;
• service management;
• budgeting;
• project management;
• analytics and management reporting.

For Ukrainian businesses, DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS also provides localized SAP Business One solutions for accounting and tax reporting, HR management and payroll.

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS: From ERP Implementation to Digital Transformation

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS goes beyond simply installing SAP Business One.

The team treats ERP as a long-term business development platform – from analyzing current processes and defining the target concept through implementation, data migration, integrations, user training, support and ongoing system development.

This approach is particularly important for companies that do not want to simply replace one accounting application with another.

Before implementation, DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS helps determine:

• which processes should be automated first;
• where the company is losing time and resources due to manual operations;
• which data is currently stored across different systems;
• which integrations the business requires;
• which SAP Business One capabilities can be delivered using standard functionality;
• where additional solutions or add-ons are required;
• which deployment model – On-Premise or Cloud – is the right choice;
• how to prepare the ERP environment for future analytics and automation.

As a result, DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS helps companies not only implement SAP Business One but also design an ERP architecture that meets current business requirements and can evolve as the company grows.

SAP Business One + SAP Analytics Cloud: The Next Level of Data Management

Another key area of DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS’ expertise is the combination of SAP Business One and SAP Analytics Cloud.

While ERP supports operational management and the collection of structured business data, an analytics platform enables companies to use that data for planning, KPI monitoring and management decision-making.

For a business owner, this means moving beyond the question “What has already happened?” toward more practical questions:

“Why did it happen?”, “What will happen next?” and “What decision should we make now?”

This shift from record-keeping to data-driven management is one of the key directions of modern ERP transformation.

AI Starts with the Right Foundation

The Nokia example also illustrates an important principle: effective artificial intelligence requires a solid technological foundation.

If finance, inventory, sales, procurement and manufacturing operate in separate systems while part of the information is stored in Excel, AI does not eliminate the underlying problem of fragmented data.

The first step is to establish a structured digital environment.

That is why DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS focuses its SAP Business One projects not only on automating individual operations but also on creating a unified enterprise information environment.

ERP → Data → Analytics → Automation → AI.

This is a structured path to digital transformation that can be adapted to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS – SAP Business One for Businesses Planning to Grow

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS works with companies that need more than an ERP system – they need a managed digital foundation for business growth.

The company has more than 18 years of experience in business automation and more than 150 clients among manufacturing and distribution companies in Ukraine and Europe.

The DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS portfolio includes SAP Business One, SAP Analytics Cloud, industry-specific solutions, Ukrainian localization, integrations and specialized add-ons.

The team supports businesses not only during ERP implementation but also after go-live – helping them update the system, extend its functionality, integrate new solutions and adapt the ERP environment to changing business requirements. This approach reflects DBS’s positioning as a partner for the implementation and ongoing development of SAP solutions.

What DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Can Do for Your Business

If a company is planning to adopt SAP Business One, migrate from another ERP system, replace outdated software or build a unified digital management platform, DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS can help structure the entire process:

• audit current business processes;
• define requirements for the future ERP system;
• develop an SAP Business One implementation concept;
• implement and configure the system;
• migrate data from legacy systems;
• integrate SAP Business One with other enterprise solutions;
• configure Ukrainian localization;
• automate key operational processes;
• train users;
• provide technical support;
• develop the ERP system in line with evolving business requirements;
• prepare the company to adopt advanced analytics and AI solutions.

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS is a partner for companies that want to transform ERP from a record-keeping system into the digital core of their business.

The Nokia example demonstrates the direction in which the enterprise ERP market is moving: cloud technologies, unified data, automation, analytics and artificial intelligence are increasingly converging into a single digital ecosystem.

For small and medium-sized businesses, this journey starts at a different scale – with a properly designed ERP system.

DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS helps Ukrainian and European companies implement SAP Business One, integrate it with their business processes and build a digital foundation for sustainable growth.