SAP has announced plans to integrate Microsoft Teams into its suite of services to help customers migrate to the cloud.

The two tech firms share an existing strategic partnership which now includes a formalised plan to accelerate the adoption of SAP S/4HANA on Azure.

The extension of the partnership will focus on simplifying cloud journeys for SAP customers. The increase in adoption of video conferencing services last year saw Microsoft Teams surpass 75 million active users, and as a result, Microsoft and SAP have announced plans to build new integrations between Teams and SAP services, such as S/4HANA.

The integrations are planned for the middle of 2021 and the hope is that it boosts innovation, increases productivity and supports business growth.

“New ways of working, collaborating and interacting completely transform how we operate,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP. “By integrating Microsoft Teams across our solution portfolio, we will bring collaboration to the next level, jointly determining the future of work and enabling the frictionless enterprise.

“Our trusted partnership with Microsoft is focused on continuously advancing customer success. That’s why we are also expanding interoperability with Azure.”

The Azure expansion builds upon a partnership forged in 2016. The two firms want to introduce new capabilities around cloud automation for both HANA and Azure in order to simplify cloud migration and digital transformation – both of which are now priorities for businesses in all sectors around the world.

It will feature SAP, Microsoft and system integrator partners providing digital enterprise roadmaps for customers, which includes immediate and actionable reference architectures and technical guidance to aid their journey to the cloud.

There will also be increased investments in platform and infrastructure, such as further development of automated migrations, improved operations, monitoring and security.

“The case for digital transformation has never been more urgent,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “By bringing together the power of Azure and Teams with SAP’s solutions, we will help more organisations harness the power of the cloud so they can more quickly adapt and innovate going forward.”