New SAP Hybris Service Engagement Center Solution Incorporates Classic and Community-Based Engagement, Enabling Organizations to Embrace the Future of Customer Service

MUNICH, Germany — June 28, 2016 — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced SAP® Hybris® Service Engagement Center, a new omnichannel cloud customer engagement solution that allows organizations to deliver convenient, contextual and relevant service experiences regardless of channel or device throughout the customer journey. This solution is now available in the United States.

Focusing on the needs of digitally connected and mobile customers, this latest addition to the service solutions in the SAP Hybris portfolio helps organizations engage with customers when it matters, seamlessly blending unassisted and assisted service with digital commerce — before, during and after the buying process. This announcement was made at the 17th annual Call Center Week Conference + Expo, taking place in Las Vegas on June 27–July 1, 2016.

“Customer service has obviously come a long way,” said Brian Walker, chief strategy officer, SAP Hybris.* “Once considered simply a cost of doing business, it has become integral to how companies engage their customers. This will become even more evident as companies evolve from selling just a product to also selling experiences that combine connected products and services, which begins to fundamentally transform their business models. And when that is combined with customers’ desire to find answers and support quickly — in most cases, via digital channels — it requires a new type of service solution. With SAP Hybris Service Engagement Center, we are addressing this market shift with a software-as-a-service solution that simplifies how the businesses and organizations we serve can support the changing needs of customers.”

A January 2016 Forrester report titled “Trends 2016: The Future of Customer Service” found that more than half of U.S. adults who shop online abandon their online purchases if they can't find quick answers to their questions — which SAP believes is clear evidence that customer service must evolve beyond traditional postsale customer support. Today’s digitally savvy customers who buy online and prefer convenient self-service expect immediate responses at any stage of their buying journey. To meet the expectations of these customers, businesses must be able to support them with relevant recommendations, reviews, peer-to-peer advice or technical guidance, and assist with any question they may have — all before they hit the “buy” button.