Frequently Asked Questions: SAI Global Acquisition of BWise

What are we announcing?

Today, SAI Global takes the next step in our SAI360 solution strategy with the acquisition of BWise® from Nasdaq. As a result of this acquisition, we are expanding our leadership in the integrated risk management (IRM) market landscape. And with it, we bring to market the most complete portfolio of software solutions and services including internal audit, regulatory change management, internal control management, enterprise and operational risk, IT/Digital risk management, vendor risk management, Environmental Health & Safety risk and compliance, and ethics learning solutions.

2. Who is SAI Global?

SAI Global helps organizations proactively manage risk to create trust and achieve business excellence, growth, and sustainability. Our IRM solutions are a combination of leading capabilities, services and advisory offerings that operate across the entire risk lifecycle allowing businesses to focus elsewhere. Together, these tools and knowledge enable clients to develop an integrated view of risk. SAI Global has operations in 28 countries with 51 offices to support our global customers.

SAI Global has been serving compliance and risk professionals for over 25 years and has over 1,100 customers with deep domain expertise in verticals that include Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy & Utilities and Technology.

3. Who is BWise?

BWise, which was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in The Netherlands, has grown to become a major enterprise governance, risk and compliance (GRC) software player across the world. Based on a strong heritage in business process management, BWise’s governance, risk and compliance (GRC) platform and Risk Intelligence services provide organizations with highly-rated, proven software solutions for enterprise and operational risk management, internal control management, internal audit, compliance and information security programs.

4. What will BWise customers gain from the acquisition?

BWise customers will gain access to the expanded range of SAI Global integrated risk management software solutions and capabilities, our ethics and compliance learning content along with our global support and services teams.

We expect these benefits will be magnified as we achieve greater integration between SAI Global and Bwise following the closing of the transaction.

5. How does this benefit both SAI Global and BWise customers?

By combining the BWise GRC platform with our SAI360 suite of IRM software solutions and ethics and compliance learning content, we can accelerate our support to customers and global organizations looking to manage risk, compliance and audit.

We are now better positioned to help organizations move from simply navigating today’s threat landscape to creating a more resilient organization that is poised and ready to overcome inevitable risk obstacles.

This makes us the strongest vendor to help customers and partners through:

• Industry-recognized risk software that can be configured to meet customer risk and compliance requirements today and prepare for emerging threats to their business operations.
• A comprehensive range to compliance, ethics and risk-based learning content to build the right risk and compliance culture and strengthen business values across employees and the expanding third party ecosystem. SAI Global has over 700 ethics, risk and compliance titles translated into 59 languages with multiple learning formats.
• SAI360 FastStart solutions to enable customers to be implemented quickly to realize the investment and reduce total cost of ownership.

6. As a BWise customer, how do I get access to review SAI Global’s learning content?

Please contact your BWise account manager and we will set up discussions with the SAI Global team. You can access information about our learning content here.

7. Will any of the BWise or SAI Global products be discontinued?

No – Our products will be integrated and enable us to better serve different verticals, regions and a wide range of risk, compliance and internal audit use cases.

8. How will the ownership change affect the company’s processes/business relationship?

This is a positive move for both SAI Global and BWise customers. SAI Global is now a larger, stronger company with more resources, skills, capability and offerings to better serve our customers. We will retain and grow our customer-centric culture and will have the same development standards and the same support if not better. And we have an expanded portfolio of product and services offerings to bring to customers.

9. What do next steps look like in the process?

Both SAI Global and BWise will continue to operate independently as separate companies until the deal is closed. Typically, this process can take some time, but we expect the deal to be completed in the first half of 2019. It is business as usual for both companies until the acquisition receives regulatory and stockholder approval and when other closing conditions are finalized.

To speak with SAI Global about your risk management needs, please contact us.