Capgemini boosts SAP business in Asia with Multibook deal

Capgemini has strengthened its SAP offering in Japan and across Asia Pacific following the bolt-on of the SAP business of Tokyo-headquartered Multibook.

The deal is expected to close in coming weeks pending regulatory approval, and will add over 80 digital experts to Capgemini’s regional and global team. The employees will transfer from across Multibook’s offices in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand.

The SAP business joining Capgemini specialises in helping clients in Japan and South East Asia with a wide range of SAP implementation and technology services, for applications such as S/4 HANA, SAP by Design and SAP Winshuttle, among others. 

The acquisition brings multifaceted value for Capgemini. The Paris-headquartered IT major is a SAP partner on the world stage – with a team of 22,000 SAP specialists serving 1,300 clients and occupying the top spot in SAP S/4 HANA certifications worldwide. Multibook’s acquisition adds to this sizeable offering. 

“By pairing Capgemini’s global expertise with the talent and insight of Multibook’s SAP business, this acquisition will strengthen our ability to help clients accelerate their transformation to run their entire business in the cloud with the next generation of intelligent SAP solutions,” noted Capgemini APAC and Middle East CEO Olaf Pietschner. 

Topping this off is a regional stronghold: Multibook’s pan-Asian team gives Capgemini reach into more markets – particularly Thailand where the firm has a relatively small base. A stronger APAC presence is increasingly crucial: the region has emerged as an epicentre for growth and digital transformation recently, as businesses look to build globally competitive propositions. 

Capgemini bolstered its regional offering in March last year with the acquisition of WhiteSky Labs – an APAC-centred firm specialised in integrated systems provider MuleSoft. At the same time, SAP is increasingly the transformation tool of choice, and many of Capgemini’s digital rivals – Accenture, Deloitte and EY included – have been upping the ante in the competitive space. 

Meanwhile, for Multibook’s transitioning unit, the joining of forces will enable the team to “offer our clients the appropriate scale to transform globally, as well as new growth and career opportunities for our people,” noted Multibook CEO Tadaaki Murayama – adding that the move “is a recognition of the value we have created with SAP for our clients.”