INTERSPORT

INTERSPORT Deutschland eG – one of the leading retail cooperatives in the German sporting goods trade – has transferred part of its SAP system landscape to the operation of Manage Now as part of the contract extension for SAP hosting. In addition to a structured transition and transformation, the primary focus was on operational reliability, service continuity, and professional security and network management. For several years now, INTERSPORT Deutschland has benefited from stable, scalable IT operations with a clear governance framework – ready for further growth and future requirements – and will continue to rely on these services from Manage Now.

Challenges

INTERSPORT Deutschland operates a historically evolved SAP landscape consisting of four independent systems (development, quality assurance, production), supplemented by central infrastructure services such as reverse proxy, SAP router, as well as user management and security solutions. While the existing platform fundamentally fulfilled its purpose, it needed to be migrated to a new platform as part of a renewal. The objective was to transfer full system operations into a modern service environment without interruption or structural disruption. At the same time, ongoing operations had to be ensured at all times, security requirements met, and all systems migrated with minimal loss. Additionally, the aim was to relieve existing IT teams and establish a professional service and governance model.

Initial situation

• Complex SAP landscape with separate systems (DEV/QAS/PRD)
• Reverse proxy to control external access to internal systems
• Network dependencies that had to be coordinated precisely
• Security architecture with firewall, Endpoint Protection and scanning requirements
• Internal resources that depended on relief in day-to-day operations
• Expectation of a smooth transition combined with economic efficiency

Solution

Manage Now designed and delivered a comprehensive Transition & Transformation project (T&T) that brought together all technological, organizational, and security related requirements within a coordinated project structure. The focus was on a controlled transition to the ServiceHub – the central Managed service platform from Manage Now – and the full takeover of ongoing operations. The project was divided into several workstreams:

• Migration of all four SAP systems (including central user administration and SAP Router
• Setup and operation of a reverse proxy for external access
• Establishment of a dedicated network tenant including VPN connectivity
• Design and rollout of Managed Security Services (firewall, Endpoint Protection, security scanning)
• Integration into the existing ITSM framework including request, incident and change management
• Joint management through governance meetings, status reports, and RACI matrices

The entire transition was managed by an experienced T&T project team on the Manage Now side – with close involvement of the technical and commercial contacts at INTERSPORT. All migrations were completed on schedule, based on coordinated downtime windows and with clearly defined acceptance criteria.

Results

Today, INTERSPORT Deutschland benefits from a holistic ManagedService with the same high quality. The SAP systems run stably and efficiently in the ServiceHub, and all supporting services -from reverse proxy to security monitoring -are seamlessly integrated. Manage Nowassumes full operational responsibility, significantly easing the burden on internal resources. Successful migration of all systems and components with no loss of productivity

• Stable and secure operation of the migrated SAPsystems
• Fully integratedsecurity architecture with rule-based firewall operations, Endpoint monitoring, and regular vulnerability scans
• ITSM processes for all operationalrequirements, including standardized ticketing and monitoring
• Clearly defined Governancewith defined escalation and communication paths
• Relief for internal resources-Manage Now handles operations while INTERSPORT retains control
• A platform built for the future: The new operating environment can be expanded and adapted flexibly