SAP’One Unified Development Organization

 Corporate Topics, Innovation, News, Technology  No Responses »
May 242013
 

SAP announced today that it will create a single development organization for existing and new products, drive a cloud-first approach for the development of line-of-business applications, increase SAP’s leadership in mobile and further accelerate the company’s go-to-market for cloud and the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud service.

In a nut shell here are the changes in management:

  1. All SAP development and custom development efforts will be managed by Vishal Sikka (@vsikka), member of the executive board, Technology & Innovation.
  2. Bernd Leukert (@leukertb), EVP for application innovation has been nominated to the global managing board.  Bernd will strength SAP’s global development organization reporting Vishal Sikka.
  3. SAP Executive Board Member Gerhard Oswald will take responsibility for a new scale, quality and support board area. Oswald will be responsible for the operations of SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud. Oswald will continue to be responsible for the SAP Active Global Support organization, the SAP Labs network (jointly with Sikka) and Solution and Knowledge Packaging.
  4. Lars Dalgaard will step down from the Executive Board and leave the company to become an investor. He will continue to play an active role as an advisor to the SAP Cloud business and will stay closely involved in the future development of SAP’s cloud strategy.
  5. SAP Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe (@jim_snabe) will become Executive Board sponsors for SAP’s cloud business.
  6. SAP will consolidate its cloud go-to-market under the leadership of Bob Calderoni , CEO of Ariba, an SAP company, president of Global Cloud Operations and member of the Global Managing Board of SAP AG. Bob will continue to lead the Ariba business network activities.
  7. Luisa Delgado, member of the Executive Board, Human Resources, and Labor Relations Director, has decided to leave SAP.
  8. SAP Executive Board Member Werner Brandt will take on the Executive Board responsibility for Human Resources and become the Labor Relations Director in Germany in addition to his role as chief financial officer.
  9. Luka Mucic will become head of Finance to support Brandt in his expanded responsibilities. The Executive Board has nominated Mucic to the Global Managing Board.

Watch a webcast about the announcement (webcast will be available by May 25 at 8:00am ET).

Read full press release.

Day 3 @SAPPHIRENOW – HANA DAY!

 Analytics, Business Suite, Cloud, Corporate Topics, Ecosystem, Events, HANA, News, Technology  No Responses »
May 162013
 

Last day for SAPPHIRE NOW 2013.  Hasso’s spent his time on stage debunking many myths about HANA and brought students from the HASSO Plattner Institute to share the applications they built on SAP HANA.  With little time left Vishal announced SAP’s new UI, SAP Fiori. The man behind SAP Fiori, Sam Yen provided a demo. Vishal continued his keynote by announcing the news below.

1) Enhancements to SAP HANA

HEADLINE: SAP Expands Big Data Offerings on the Open SAP HANA Platform

Enhancements include:

  • New SAP HANA smart data to help enterprises derive real-time insights across heterogeneous sources such as Hadoop.
  • New in-memory spatial capabilities in SAP HANA will help businesses uncover richer and meaningful signals from business and geospatial data.
  • Expanded SAP HANA One service will help customers and independent software vendors (ISVs) accelerate their time to value through flexible cloud deployment models.
  • The completion of the integration of Sybase data management with SAP HANA.
  • In-memory based intelligent data virtualization technology to simplify data queries across heterogeneous sources while ensuring optimal response time.
  • Expanded SAP HANA Open initiative provides customers the flexibility of choice to deploy HANA with tailored integration into their existing network storage infrastructure.
  • Expansion of HANA’s advanced in-memory text mining capabilities for popular international languages.

 

2) More Tools to Help Partners  Sell, Build & Market SAP HANA

HEADLINE: SAP Energizes Its Ecosystem With the Power of SAP HANA, Driving Growth Opportunities AND Accelerating Innovation for Customers

Tools and support for SAP HANA are opening up new sales, service and business opportunities for the entire partner ecosystem, providing amazing benefits to customers.

 

3) HP & SAP Prototype System @SAPPHIRENOW

HEADLINE: HP and SAP Advance SAP HANA Through Joint Innovation

  • HP & SAP prototypes a system to improve business processes and mitigate risks for customers based on SAP HANA for SAP Business Suite.
  • Prototype is the result of an SAP and HP initiative called, “project kraken“.  Project kraken’s goal is to provide customers additional choice in scalability for large, online transaction processing applications, with requirements for real-time analytical insights into this data. This will allows organizations another alternative to quickly detect patterns, analyze massive data volumes on the fly, and perform their operations quickly.
  • The 12 Terabyte Prototype System is based on HP x86 server technologies and optimized with the in-memory SAP HANA database for SAP Business Suite.

 

4) Advancements to SAP Business Intelligence 4.1 

HEADLINE: Business Intelligence Innovations from SAP Unlock the Power of Data for Real-Time Insights and Optimized Decision-Making

Features will be:

  • Unified and highly personalized platform with improved interoperability and usability across the BI suite.
  • Powerful visualizations, including SAP Lumira software, that will provide end users with industry-focused visualizations and spatial analytics.
  • New SAP Crystal Server software and the Edge edition of SAP BusinessObjects BI software for small & midsize companies.

SAPPHIRE NOW – Day Two Announcements

 Analytics, Business Suite, ByD, Cloud, Corporate Topics, HANA, News, SME, Sustainability, Technology  No Responses »
May 152013
 

Day two of SAPPHIRE opened with Jim Hagemann Snabe’s keynote hitting upon SAP Business Suite on HANA, SAP new cloud offerings and announcing SAP’s new user experience apps.  All of this and making reference to how SAP solutions are helping its customers be more sustainable.

SAP released four new announcements:

1) New Cloud Solutions

HEADLINE: SAP Unveils Comprehensive Portfolio of Business Applications in the Cloud

a) SuccessFactors BizX Suite includes:

  • SuccessFactors Employee Central: Expanding global capabilities and addressing local business needs in 29 new countries, now there are 51 country versions.
  • SuccessFactors Onboarding: The solution provides step-by-step guidance for the hiring manager, socialization capabilities and rich employee profile functionality.
  • SuccessFactors Learning: Has a redesigned learning homepage featuring customizable tile-based user interface with content tiles, thumbnail images and course descriptions and a combined catalog search.

b) SAP Cloud for Customer are cloud solutions for marketing, sales and service organizations, solutions include:

c) SAP Cloud for Financials offers new global, mobile and integration capabilities

d) SAP Cloud for Travel helps with expense management with simplified reporting and new analytics

e) SAP Business ByDesign now has more functionality for professional services, distribution and subsidiaries

f) Ariba Cloud Applications updated to provide driving new levels of productivity and profits

 

2) SAP Fiori (Italian word meaning Flower) is SAP’s new user experience

HEADLINE: SAP Fiori Simplifies the Enterprise Software Experience on Any Device With Consumer-Style Apps

  • SAP Fiori is a collection of apps with a simple and easy to use experience for frequently used SAP software functions that work across devices
  • SAP Fiori was shipped as beta release to over 10 early adopter customers that provided a very positive feedback on the entire experience using SAP Fiori
  • This the first release focusing on renewing the most broadly and frequently used SAP functions by simplifying and modernizing their user experience
  • SAP Fiori time sheet approval demo

 

3) SAP Business Suite on HANA is Generally Available!!

HEADLINE: SAP Business Suite Powered by SAP HANA Now Generally Available; Core SAP Applications and Industry Solutions Now Real-Time

 

4) SAP Business One v9.0 Generally Available

HEADLINE: New Version of SAP Business One Application Helps to Realize Efficient Business Processes in Real Time

a) New version of SAP Business One offers more than 50 new and enhanced features, including:

  • Now integrated with the Ariba Network
  • Central location for implementation and configuration tools
  • New integrated development environments for partners, consultants and customer IT employees

b) New version of SAP Business One for SAP HANA includes:

  • Easier add-on development for partners
  • New and enhanced business processes
  • Real-time reporting and analytics with pervasive analytics

 

SAP HANA on the Cloud – Collection of Facts

 Analytics, Business Suite, Corporate Topics, Ecosystem, Events, HANA, Innovation, News, On Demand, Technology  No Responses »
May 072013
 

 

enterprise-cloud-graphic-no-rule

SAP announced that SAP HANA is now on the cloud via service SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud.  Now companies can run their mission critical applications in a managed cloud all on SAP HANA.  Here is a collection of links that talks about what was announced.

Quotes from Vishal Sikka during the press conference:

“HANA cloud already has business intelligence, analytics, business warehouse, CRM systems.”

“HANA Enterprise cloud is for HANA only. Previous generation databases are not welcome here.”

“Workday and SalesForce.com will benefit a lot by moving to Hana cloud.”

SAP HANA at the Forefront of the Technology Revolution in the Healthcare Industry

 Analytics, HANA, Mobility  Comments Off
Nov 122012
 

SAP and MolecularHealth, a leader in clinico-molecular informatics have come together to provide cancer patients personalized treatment choices based on the analysis of terabytes of information in real-time.

Oncologist have a challenge of selecting from a host of approved drugs and clinical trials poses, with SAP HANA the Oncologist can bring a dramatic acceleration to their decision-making process. The MolecularHealth offering, supported by the platform, is planned to be capable of translating genomic sequences of both tumor and normal cells — more than 3 billion data points — into potential treatment strategies. Physicians are planned to be able to select a treatment strategy for each patient from hundreds of approved drugs and clinical trials — a process that today involves significant time and complexity. Genomic sequencing data amounts to approximately 2 terabytes of information per patient. Printed on paper, this amount of data would fill a medium-sized elementary school library.

The solution is planned to be deployable in the cloud, on premise or in a hybrid model, as well as to be made available via mobile devices.

“With our market-leading innovations and our investments in research and healthcare IT solutions, we have the ability to support the fight against cancer together with MolecularHealth,” said Jim Hagemann Snabe, co-CEO, SAP AG. “We partner and drive co-innovation with companies that are dedicated to making a difference. Our investment in technologies and platforms such as SAP HANA, cloud and enterprise mobility enables us and our partners to deliver on our vision and commitment to make the world run better and to improve people’s lives.”

SAP HANA is also helping Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) in Japan to shortened genome analysis time from several days to minutes. There goal is to deliver cancer treatments to patients the same day.

More information is available in the press release.

TechEd Vegas – Reflections from Vishal Sikka

 HANA, Innovation  Comments Off
Oct 232012
 

There was  a lot of activity at SAP TechEd last week.  The tech geeks at the conference were giving more free access to HANA and tools to build apps onto HANA.

SAP’s Vishal Sikka reflects on the announcements made at TechEd Vegas and how technology is changing our world in a blog post, What a Week!!

SAP and Ariba Completes Acquisition

 Corporate Topics, News, On Demand  Comments Off
Oct 012012
 

SAP announced that it has completed its acquisition of Ariba.

Through the acquisition, SAP will deliver an industry-leading end-to-end cloud procurement solution and become the leader in the fast-growing segment of inter-enterprise cloud-based business networks. More than 195,000 SAP customers will easily connect to the Ariba business network through pre-built integration points — no matter what size or industry, and no matter whether on premise or on demand. SAP also plans to provide open access to the business network, extending the benefits of business collaboration to any company, on any system, from any provider.

“SAP and Ariba form a powerful combination, perfectly positioned to enable our customers to collaborate more efficiently with their global network of customers and partners,” said SAP Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. “We share a common passion for customer-driven innovation and putting our customers at the center of everything we do. Together, we will create the premier business network to connect businesses and their systems to those of their trading partners and enable new processes only possible in a digital environment.”

“Perceptive executives have come to understand that creating value means embracing networks of people and coordinating their efforts,” said Ariba CEO Bob Calderoni. “By combining SAP innovations and core applications with the Ariba Network, we can create new ways for businesses to collaborate through the cloud and deliver business results faster.”

SAP will consolidate all cloud-related supplier assets of SAP under Ariba, which will operate as an independent business under the name “Ariba, an SAP company.” Calderoni will be appointed to the SAP Global Managing Board subject to the consent of the SAP Supervisory Board.

All outstanding shares of Ariba (other than shares held by stockholders that have properly and validly perfected their appraisal rights under Delaware law) were converted into the right to receive $45.00 per share in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding of taxes. Ariba has notified The Nasdaq Stock Market of the completion of the acquisition and expects trading of its common stock to be suspended pending delisting of such shares.

Enabling the Networked Enterprise

Business networks are significantly more powerful than any single entity. The combination of the network and procurement solutions from Ariba and SAP will provide companies with 360-degree insights into their spending. By combining its business process expertise with Ariba’s business network, SAP enables the “Networked Enterprise,” empowering business to:

  • Connect to customers, suppliers and partners to facilitate collaborative commerce processes like sales, procurement and finance
  • Gain efficiency through cloud-based applications that automate and enable shared processes like sourcing, invoicing and payment
  • Become more informed through community intelligence, market insights, benchmarking and best practices for better performance and decisions

Acquisition History:

SAP to Expand Cloud Presence With Acquisition of Ariba

 Newsbyte, Sustainability  Comments Off
May 222012
 

WALLDORF, Germany and SUNNYVALE, Calif. — SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and Ariba, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA) today announced that SAP’s subsidiary, SAP America, Inc., has entered into an agreement to acquire Ariba, the leading cloud-based business commerce network, for $45.00 per share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $4.3 billion. The acquisition will combine Ariba’s successful buyer-seller collaboration network with SAP’s broad customer base and deep business process expertise to create new models for business-to-business collaboration in the cloud.

The Ariba board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction. The per share purchase price represents a 20% premium over the May 21 closing price and a 19% premium over the one month volume weighted average price per share. The transaction will be funded from SAP’s free cash and a €2.4 billion term loan facility. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar year 2012, subject to Ariba stockholder approval, clearances by relevant regulatory authorities and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to be accretive to SAP’s non-IFRS earnings per share in 2013.

Business Network to Drive Growth
With the addition of Ariba, SAP will acquire the leader in cloud-based collaborative business commerce. The acquisition establishes SAP as the leading business network, adding business-to-business collaboration to its existing solutions. The move positions SAP in a fast-growing segment as buyers and sellers across the globe connect in new ways through the cloud.

SAP’s entry into the inter-enterprise business network space significantly expands its growth opportunities and accelerates its momentum in the cloud. Last week, SAP announced the roadmap for its cloud applications business (Software-as-a-Service), focusing on managing customers, suppliers, employees, and financials, in addition to its cloud suite offerings SAP Business ByDesign and SAP Business One. The acquisition will also significantly boost SAP’s cloud applications portfolio with the addition of Ariba’s leading cloud-based procurement solutions.

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Ariba has approximately 2,600 employees. The company is the leader in cloud-based collaborative commerce applications and the second-largest cloud vendor by revenue. Ariba combines industry-leading technology with a web-based trading community to help companies discover, connect and collaborate with a global network of partners – all in a cloud-based environment. With $444 million in total revenue, Ariba experienced 38.5 percent annual growth in 2011. Its business network recorded 62 percent organic growth in the same period.

“The cloud has profoundly changed the way people interact. The impact will be even greater as enterprises connect and collaborate in new ways with their global networks of customers and partners,” said SAP Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. “Cloud-based collaboration is redefining business network innovation, and we are catching this wave in the early stage of its evolution. The addition of Ariba will create the business network of the future, deliver immediate value to our customers and provide another solid engine for driving SAP’s growth in the cloud.”

Businesses to Benefit from Combination
Industry experts estimate the cloud-based enterprise network and procurement segment at a current size of $5 billion in revenue. The Ariba network is the largest and most global trading network, connecting and automating more than $319 billion in commerce transactions, collaborations, and intelligence among more than 730,000 companies. SAP’s global customer base of more than 190,000 companies includes the largest buyers and sellers in the world, offering great potential to increase the number of participants, as well as the volume and types of transactions conducted through this network. Already today 63% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP system. SAP and Ariba will facilitate collaborative commerce within and between companies of all sizes.

The combination of SAP’s innovations and core applications with the Ariba cloud-based network will create new business value for customers:

  • Together, SAP and Ariba can deliver a truly end-to-end solution that enables companies to achieve a closed-loop from source-to-pay, regardless of whether they deploy in the cloud, on-premise or through a combination of both.
  • Ariba’s open network and SAP’s integration expertise will facilitate participation and extend the benefits of business collaboration to all companies, on any system, from any provider.
  • The Ariba network will benefit from the performance delivered by using SAP’s flagship in-memory platform SAP HANA.
  • Relationship and transaction information from commerce activity in the Ariba network together with SAP’s leading analytics will provide real-time insights to enable trading partners to discover, connect and collaborate more effectively.
  • All SAP customers will be able to easily connect to the business network through pre-built integration points.
  • Through the combination of the business network procurement solutions from Ariba and SAP, organizations can gain 360-degree business intelligence and effectively demonstrate that spending activities, contracts, and supplier interactions adhere to corporate compliance guidelines.

“In our personal lives, networks are playing an increasingly important role in how we connect, share, and shop – bringing more insight and efficiency into everything we do,” said Bob Calderoni, CEO, Ariba. “Businesses are looking for the same connectedness, insight, and efficiencies in the processes and collaboration with customers, suppliers, and partners beyond the walls of their companies. By combining Ariba’s open global trading network and SAP’s solutions and analytics, we are ushering in a new era of business-to-business collaboration and driving new levels of productivity.”

Upon completion of the transaction, it is planned to consolidate all cloud-related supplier assets of SAP under Ariba. The existing management team will continue to lead Ariba, which will operate as an independent business under the name “Ariba, an SAP company.” The SAP Executive Board intends to nominate Ariba CEO Bob Calderoni to the SAP Global Managing Board after closing of the transaction and subject to the approval of the SAP Supervisory Board.

Financial Analyst and Media Conference Call
SAP and Ariba will host a conference call for financial analysts and media to discuss the transaction on Tuesday, May 22nd, at 10:00 pm CET / 4:00 pm Eastern/ 1:00 pm Pacific. The call will be webcast at www.sap.com/investor

Conference ID: 7427781

Participant Dial-in Numbers
US: +1 646 254 3361
UK: +44(0)20 3140 8286
Germany: +49(0)89 1214 00699

Replay Dial-in Numbers
US: +1 347 366 9565
UK: +44(0)20 3427 0598
Germany: +49(0)89 2030 3201
Replay Passcode: 7427781

For more information, visit the SAP Newsroom.

About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 190,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

# # #

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include the quotes from executives of both companies and statements concerning the parties’ ability to complete the transaction, the expected closing date of the transaction, and the expected benefits and synergies of the transaction. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. These potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, uncertainties as to the timing of the acquisition; the satisfaction of closing conditions, including the receipt of Ariba stockholder approval and regulatory approvals; the failure to retain key Ariba employees, contracts or benefits; the failure to achieve expected synergies and other benefits; customer and partner uncertainty regarding the anticipated benefits of the transaction; whether certain industry segments will grow as anticipated; the competitive environment among participants in cloud technologies; and other risks detailed in SAP’s and Ariba’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including SAP’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Ariba’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Additional Information about the Merger and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed merger, Ariba will file a proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The definitive proxy statement will be sent or given to the stockholders of Ariba and will contain important information about the proposed merger and related matters. Ariba’s stockholders are urged to read the definitive proxy statement carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decision with respect to the proposed merger because they will contain important information about the merger and the parties to the merger. Additionally, Ariba and SAP will file other relevant materials in connection with the proposed acquisition of Ariba by SAP pursuant to the terms of an Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among, SAP America, Angel Expansion Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of SAP America, and Ariba. SAP, Ariba and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of their management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Ariba stockholders in connection with the proposed merger. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of certain of SAP’s executive officers and directors in the solicitation by reading SAP’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, and the proxy statement and other relevant materials filed with the SEC when they become available. Information concerning the interests of Ariba’s participants in the solicitation, which may, in some cases, be different than those of Ariba’s stockholders generally, will be set forth in the proxy statement relating to the merger when it becomes available.

The materials to be filed by SAP and Ariba with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement from Ariba by contacting Ariba Investor Relations by email at investorinfo@ariba.com or by telephone at +1 (678) 336-2980.

© 2012 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP BusinessObjects Explorer, StreamWork, SAP HANA, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company.Sybase and Adaptive Server, iAnywhere, Sybase 365, SQL Anywhere, and other Sybase products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sybase, Inc. Sybase is an SAP company. Crossgate, m@gic EDDY, B2B 360°, and B2B 360° Services are registered trademarks of Crossgate AG in Germany and other countries. Crossgate is an SAP company. SuccessFactors, Execution is the Difference, BizX Mobile Touchbase, It’s time to love work again, Jam and BadAss SaaS are trademarks or registered trademarks of SuccessFactors Inc. in the United States and other countries. SuccessFactors is an SAP company. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

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For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

For more information, press only:
Christoph Liedtke, SAP, +49 (6227) 7-50383, christoph.liedtke@sap.com, CET
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For more information, financial community only:
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SAP Unveils Accelerated Cloud Strategy

 ByD, Newsbyte, On Demand  Comments Off
May 152012
 

ORLANDO — SAP today unveiled its accelerated cloud strategy by announcing cloud solutions for four lines of business to manage people, money, customers and suppliers. These are planned to be offered in a consistent way and seamlessly integrated into enterprise resource planning (ERP) business software. SAP will leverage the market strengths of SuccessFactors, an SAP company and one of the fastest growing cloud providers in the world, and its founder and CEO Lars Dalgaard. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE NOW, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 14−16, 2012.

“As a long-time customer of both SAP and SuccessFactors, we see this strategy as a clear way forward, harnessing and streamlining the best of what each side brings to the table,” said Troy Barnett, director of HR Processes, Under Armour. “SAP has the process and industry expertise that we rely on every day to run our business, and SuccessFactors gives us cloud applications that our teammates love to use. With the resources at SAP’s disposal coupled with Lars’ vision and passion, we expect great things from this combination.”

“The cloud is a completely new paradigm. Our team of 5,000 will provide customers and all their people with rock-solid access to best-in-class business functionality for people, money, customers and suppliers,” said Dalgaard, SAP Executive Board member. “They aim for the highest level of reliable security in the cloud. We will provide integration among the cloud solutions and external content out-of-the-box with on-premise business software. We are passionate about bringing creative and innovative first-in-class applications to market with a beautiful user experience.”

The New Cloud Powerhouse
Since the close of SAP’s acquisition of SuccessFactors in February 2012, the combined teams immediately joined forces to begin delivering on an accelerated cloud strategy. SuccessFactors is a pioneer in the cloud and a clear leader in the human capital management (HCM) space, while SAP has deep and unmatched end-to-end business process know-how across on-demand and on-premise solutions, hard-won from 40 years of intellectual property, experience and customer success. Together, and with Dalgaard at the helm of the combined Cloud business unit, SAP is now investing more than 5,000 people dedicated to designing, building and delivering beautiful cloud solutions that enable people to love work again and perform at their best. The newly formed Cloud business unit, serving more than 17 million users, will be focused on four solution areas aimed at helping customers manage their most business-critical assets and relationships.

SAP plans to deliver its multitenant cloud solutions as a loosely-coupled suite of best-of-breed applications. The company plans to offer customers the choice and flexibility to adopt these applications at their own pace, as their business needs evolve. When used together, these applications aim to offer the value of a single solution with a consistent user and customer experience, process and data integrity. The cloud portfolio will focus on solutions that help SAP customers better manage:

  • People: SAP announced the addition of its industry-leading global  payroll software as a cloud-based offering integrated with SuccessFactors’ core human resources (HR) solution, Employee Central. The solution is planned to be available in 10 countries, and is today leveraged by a number of strategic partners as a platform to offer business process outsourcing (BPO) services. SAP has more than 200 resources throughout every region in the world to help ensure local regulations and complexities are addressed and updated within its payroll solution. With the addition of global payroll to the SuccessFactors talent management and core HR solutions, SAP intends to offers the most comprehensive suite of applications in the cloud to help customers manage their people more effectively along end-to-end HR processes, from strategy to execution.
  • Money: With decades of deep expertise in global localization of sophisticated financial applications, SAP announced the planned availability of the SAP Financials OnDemand solution, targeted for large enterprise customers to manage their core financials as well as order-to-cash and invoice-to-pay processes. It is planned to be integrated with SuccessFactors’ core HR solution Employee Central. In addition, SAP intends to deliver a new release of the SAP Travel OnDemand solution with additional integration and mobile capabilities, including the ability to capture and process expenses directly from a mobile device.
  • Customers: The SAP Sales OnDemand solution, with new innovations now released quarterly, goes beyond the outdated capabilities of existing cloud-based sales force automation tools by delivering new marketing and social selling capabilities, new configurability and customization tools, and new integration to on-premise SAP Business Suite software, including the SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) application. SAP is now broadening its portfolio of CRM solutions to help companies leverage the full power of social networks. SAP today also announced the general availability of the SAP Social Customer Engagement OnDemand solution to help companies engage intelligently with their customers via social media such as Facebook and Twitter as part of their multichannel approach for both marketing and service professionals.
  • Suppliers: Supplier interaction continues to be a key lever for customers. SAP intends to invest in the SAP Sourcing OnDemand solution for strategic sourcing, supplier and contract lifecycle management integrated on premise with SAP Business Suite, as well as its business networks solutions, including the SAP Information Interchange OnDemand solution, for networked-based invoice management and information exchange for the procure-to-pay process.

SAP Cloud Solutions Built With “Social, Mobile, Analytics-First” Approach
Harnessing the power of its mobile, collaborative and analytic expertise for the cloud, SAP cloud solutions can create synergies for customers to realize business value in entirely new ways. A beautiful and intuitive user interface (UI) enables people to easily navigate the system to get their work done more efficiently. Built-in social collaboration aims to help teams work together to achieve business goals faster— whether across the globe or in the next cubicle. With these capabilities powered by the SAP HANA platform, people can make better-informed decisions while integration with the existing portfolio of on-premise solutions from SAP allows for faster innovation across lines of business.

Social Collaboration Where People Work: In Every Application and Business Process
SAP continues to reinforce its social collaboration strategy with new people and data collaboration capabilities: analytics directly in social software for fact-based decision-making, social communities easily blended with formal training for increased learner engagement and an iPad application for collaboration on-the-go. Additionally, in less than two months, social capabilities have been activated for millions of users, letting them easily share and tap into the expertise of their colleagues, unlocking the value of social software.

Sameer Patel, a social software influencer who recently joined SAP, is driving the development of the next-generation social strategy at SAP. The goal is to combine the company’s broad footprint in systems, data management and business processes with SuccessFactors’ leadership and knowledge of cloud solutions to deliver social and collaborative capabilities in a way that accelerates process and business performance. SAP plans to announce further details in the coming months.

Mobile, Extensible, Powered by SAP HANA: Cloud Applications Using SAP and Third-Party Platform-as-a-Service
Across its rich portfolio of mobile cloud solutions, SAP announced today the planned availability of SAP NetWeaver Cloud as its unified platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering. It is intended to be powered by SAP HANA with application design and runtime capabilities, as well as a rich set of services that are planned to include security, mobile and collaboration. SAP today also reaffirmed its commitment to openness by announcing its partnership with leading third-party PaaS offerings, including VMware Cloud Foundry™, that customers will be able to use together with platform services from SAP NetWeaver Cloud to extend SAP solutions.

Integration of Hybrid Landscape Using SAP and Third-Party Integration-as-a-Service
SAP recognizes that for many of its customers, heterogeneous IT landscapes and deployments across on demand and on premise will continue to be the norm and it is crucial to provide integration to make such a hybrid solution landscape work. To address this need, SAP intends to deliver a cloud-based integration technology, comprised of on-demand solutions for process integration and data services, with out-of-the-box content to connect the loosely coupled line-of-business on-demand solutions to other SAP solutions whether on premise or on demand. For integration to third-party solutions, SAP plans to offer its own cloud-based integration technology and also plans to enable its vast ecosystem of partners, including solutions from Dell Boomi, IBM Cast Iron and Mulesoft.

SuccessFactors and SAP Run Better Together
Wasting no time, SuccessFactors implemented several key SAP cloud solutions internally in only six weeks. SuccessFactors, previously a user of multiple, disparate cloud applications, now boasts the title of world’s largest implementation of SAP Sales OnDemand. In the weeks since the companies came together, SuccessFactors has also gone live with SAP Sourcing OnDemand for its strategic procurement management; SAP Travel OnDemand for expense and travel management of its U.S. and German employees; and the SAP Business ByDesign solution, supporting finance and professional services processes.

In parallel, SAP will also use SuccessFactors BizX suite internally as its new HCM system. The use of Success Factors’ cloud solution will simplify HR processes for managers and employees, help managers better align their daily management activities with the corporate strategy and provide the best tools for employees to take more control of their career development. Thirteen hundrend internal early adopters have been working with SuccessFactors since April with enthusiastic feedback about its ease of use and simplicity. The solution will be globally available on May 14 to every SAP employee.

Run Better: Full Business – Any Size – In the Cloud
SAP will continue to offer fully integrated suites in the cloud, with SAP Business ByDesign for mid-market customers via its reseller channels and for subsidiaries of large enterprise customers, as well as the SAP Business One OnDemand solution served by certified SAP partners for smaller customers.

For announcements, blog posts, videos and other coverage during SAPPHIRE NOW, visit the Events Newsroom.

SAPPHIRE NOW
With SAPPHIRE NOW, SAP offers its customers, partners and prospects even more opportunities to engage in dialogue with peers, participants and thought leaders around the globe. Being held in Orlando, Florida, May 14-16, 2012, this enhanced, real-time event connects attendees on site with global participants through state-of-the-art broadcast studios and an online experience that incorporates the latest social media and community functionality. Whether on site or online, participants can gain insight as to how SAP is delivering on its product strategy and helping organizations around the world to run better. For more information, visit www.sapphirenow.com. Follow SAPPHIRE NOW on Twitter at @SAPPHIRENOW and visit the Events Newsroom at www.events.news-sap.com.

Note to Editors:
Webcasts, announcements, media roundtables, keynote presentations and blog posts from SAPPHIRE NOW will be available in the Events Newsroom at: www.events.news-sap.com. To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit www.sap.com/photos. On this platform, you can find high-resolution material for your media channels. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit www.sap-tv.com. From this site, you can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

For more information, press only:
Dorit Shackleton, SAP, +1 (604) 889-7841, dorit.shackleton@sap.com, PDT
SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com
Andrea Meyer, SuccessFactors, + 1 (415) 370-7329, ameyer@successfactors.com, PDT

During SAPPHIRE NOW (from May 14 to 16), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room: +1 (610) 661-0469.

McLaren Group Runs Faster With SAP

 Analytics, HANA, Newsbyte, On Demand  Comments Off
May 152012
 

ORLANDO — The McLaren Group, known for its Grand Prix racing team and iconic Formula 1 cars, will integrate its growing portfolio of businesses using solutions from SAP as its technology backbone. McLaren selected SAP for enterprise applications that improve efficiency across all lines of business, combined with an innovative vision that promises to amplify that value via mobile devices, the cloud and in-memory technology. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE NOW, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 14-16, 2012

SAP has a long-standing relationship with various parts of the McLaren Group. This latest deal marks a new stage in their relationship aimed at transforming the IT infrastructure of the entire McLaren Group. McLaren is a midsize company, quickly growing across multiple business centers and regions. As the company expands its investment into diverse markets, including applied technology, electronic systems and high-end hospitality, it needed a technology engine that was integrated, scalable and delivered maximum performance.

McLaren chose SAP to help create a holistic approach, enabling the company to gain better visibility and leverage best practices more easily across the business divisions. With the SAP HANA platform and mobile apps, the company will be able to empower everyone — from tire changers to executives — with the real-time information needed to keep ahead of competitors. The McLaren Group is looking forward to a fast time-to-value using SAP Rapid Deployment solutions, pre-configured software and implementation services.

“The McLaren Group is a rapidly growing business and has unique demands for our software implementation,” said Ron Dennis, executive chairman, The McLaren Group. “These are exciting times for our business, and as we look to the future, we’re pleased to be able to partner with a company like SAP that shares our values – passion, commitment and the willingness to make sacrifices in order to be the absolute best. The growth and longevity of our brand are dependent on our having a varied portfolio, supported by a strong business plan, implemented by the best people – with input from the best partners.”

The McLaren Group’s core activity is Formula 1 racing, a data-intensive sport that demands technical agility and continuous, rapid invention. And McLaren has perfected telemetry systems, which use data generated by race car sensors, so much so that it is the official electronics system for all Formula 1 teams as well IndyCar and NASCAR series. SAP HANA will help turbo-charge both the speed and depth of McLaren’s telemetry technology allowing the teams to look at much larger data sets and ask more complex questions. This real-time analysis of car sensor data can be run against both historical data and predictive models, helping the team to make immediate proactive corrections, avoid costly, dangerous incidents and win the race. With instant analysis of what is happening to the car while the race is on, the driver and engineers can work together to ensure a winning result.

“At McLaren we’re accustomed to handling ‘big data,’” continued Dennis. “On every lap of every Grand Prix, practice or test session, our Formula 1 cars generate vast quantities of performance data. Our ability to process that data and act on it rapidly is crucial to creating the kind of prescriptive intelligence that enables us to transform the outcome of races. And that need resonates through every other facet of our business.”

As McLaren diversifies its business, its electronic systems — including telemetry, modeling and real-time simulations — are being used widely in other areas, such as to help Olympic athletes hone their performance and in rapid transit systems in the U.S. to optimize traffic flow. The company plans to use SAP innovations to augment the competitive advantage it provides across these various areas.

“Transforming information into intelligence in real time is a cornerstone for McLaren’s winning formula – and increasingly critical for the future of every company,” said Jim Hagemann Snabe, co-CEO, SAP AG.” With SAP HANA, mobile and the complete SAP portfolio underpinning its business, McLaren can now bring increased intelligence across the full spectrum of its business operations. SAP will be able to help McLaren better anticipate, accelerate and differentiate its business — keeping them very much in the driver’s seat. In short, working together, SAP will help McLaren run like never before.”

For announcements, blog posts, videos and other coverage during SAPPHIRE NOW, visit the Events Newsroom.

SAPPHIRE NOW
With SAPPHIRE NOW, SAP offers its customers, partners and prospects even more opportunities to engage in dialogue with peers, participants and thought leaders around the globe. Being held in Orlando, Florida, May 14-16, 2012, this enhanced, real-time event connects attendees on site with global participants through state-of-the-art broadcast studios and an online experience that incorporates the latest social media and community functionality. Whether on site or online, participants can gain insight as to how SAP is delivering on its product strategy and helping organizations around the world to run better. For more information, visit www.sapphirenow.com. Follow SAPPHIRE NOW on Twitter at @SAPPHIRENOW and visit the Events Newsroom at www.events.news-sap.com.

Note to Editors:
Webcasts, announcements, media roundtables, keynote presentations and blog posts from SAPPHIRE NOW will be available in the Events Newsroom at: www.events.news-sap.com. To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit www.sap.com/photos. On this platform, you can find high-resolution material for your media channels. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit www.sap-tv.com. From this site, you can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

For more information, press only:
Robin Meyerhoff, +1 (650) 440-2572, robin.meyerhoff@sap.com, PDT
SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com

During SAPPHIRE NOW (from May 14 to 16), to speak with press contacts on site, please dial the SAP press room: +1 (610) 661-0469.

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