Category Archives: HANA

Big Data, Enterprise IT, HANA, Huawei, News & Analysis, OpenStack, SAP

SAP’s HANA launches on Huawei’s FusionSphere cloud platform

Huawei MWC 2016Huawei and SAP have announced the general availability of the SAP HANA platform on Huawei’s OpenStack cloud platform FusionSphere 5.1.

The announcement follows a long-standing partnership, dating back to 2012 when Huawei became a SAP global technology partner, which saw the team open a co-innovation centre at Huawei’s Shenzhen campus last year, which was tasked with advanced the teams capabilities in the cloud computing and big data market segments.

“SAP is the world’s largest provider of enterprise application software, and SAP HANA is leading enterprise software innovation right now,” said Zhipeng Ren, President of the Huawei IT Cloud Computing Product Line. “Huawei’s FusionCloud solution support for SAP HANA is widely accepted in the market. With the open cloud computing strategy, Huawei builds a win-win cloud ecosystem through an open, enterprise-class cloud platform.

“Based on OpenStack open source architecture, Huawei FusionSphere has made thousands of enterprise-class enhancements, and is an ideal cloud infrastructure platform for SAP HANA and critical enterprise applications. In the meantime, our joint initiatives with SAP are intended to create more value for customers to achieve their goals.”

Over the course of the relationship, SAP’s HANA offering has been made available on a number of Huawei platforms including FusionCube, FusionServer RH2288H V2/V3, FusionServer RH5885H V3 and FusionServer RH8100 V3. Huawei claims that since FusionSphere can run business applications that have traditionally been run on premise, the platform will create a number of new opportunities for mass processing of big data on the cloud.

Apple, Enterprise IT, HANA, News & Analysis, SAP, software

Apple bolsters position in enterprise cloud market with SAP partnership

SAP Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook (Left) and SAP CEO Bill McDermott (Right)

Mobile device giant Apple has announced a new partnership with enterprise software vendor SAP to develop iOS apps based on the SAP HANA cloud platform, reports Telecoms.com.

This marks the latest move by Apple to strengthen its position in the enterprise sector, following a similar partnership with IBM in 2014, and other with Cisco last year. The most recent iPad launch was focused squarely at enterprise and with shipments of both iPhones and iPads having apparently peaked, Apple will be hoping an enterprise push will yield dividends.

The SAP partnership is focused on the development of native enterprise apps for iOS that support SAP’s cloud platform HANA. There will also be a dedicated SDK and training academy to assist in the development effort and a version of the SAP Fiori UX platform for iOS.

“This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP’s deep expertise in business software,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“As the leader in enterprise software and with 76% of business transactions touching an SAP system, SAP is the ideal partner to help us truly transform how businesses around the world are run on iPhone and iPad. Through the new SDK, we’re empowering SAP’s more than 2.5 million developers to build powerful native apps that fully leverage SAP HANA Cloud Platform and tap into the incredible capabilities that only iOS devices can deliver.”

“We’re proud to take this special partnership between Apple and SAP to a ground-breaking new place,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “In giving people an agile and intuitive business experience, we empower them to know more, care more and do more.

“By combining the powerful capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA, together with iOS, the leading and most secure mobile platform for enterprise, we will help deliver live data to people wherever and whenever they choose to work. Apple and SAP share a commitment to shaping the future, helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.”

Tablet shipment numbers are not much lower than PCs these days but the default enterprise device remains the laptop. For mainly desk-based workers this will probably remain the case indefinitely but Apple will be keen to entrench and expand its foothold in enterprise. The BYOD (bring your own device) era that accompanied the smartphone boom is also a great opportunity for Apple in enterprise, as is the work-provided opportunity created by the decline of Blackberry.

Enterprise Cloud, Enterprise IT, HANA, News & Analysis, SAP

SAP claims to have simplified its Business Suite for all enterprise cloud users

SAP HANA VoraSAP has updated its suite of on-premise and cloud editions included in its Business Suite 4 SAP HANA range, which it promised will simplify processes in a range of functions and lines of business.

The announcement of improvements to its SAP S/4HANA Enterprise Management system was made at SAP TechEd in Barcelona.

SAP claimed it has invented new, simpler and faster ways of using its systems in eight major areas that affect users working in finance, sales, service, marketing, commerce, procurement and sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain, asset management, research and development and human resources.

Finance, sales and purchasing staff will benefit from a new method of optimized working capital with new accounts payable and receivable cockpits. In the supply chain, workers can benefit from a new system with fewer stock buffers and a simplified data model for inventory management. This, says SAP, will speed things up by catering for more real-time, high-volume processing. In other departments, procurement, sourcing and supply chain management professionals will benefit from new levels of instant insight into stock and material flow.

Meanwhile, in other part of the enterprise, cloud users in Production Departments will benefit from shorter manufacturing cycles, as a result of streamlined material flow for internal requirements and for material requirements planning. Project managers and supervisors will become more productive, claims SAP, thanks to its new augmented reactivity with real-time monitoring of production orders for flow and critical issues.

Operations managers, on the other hand, will make better operational decisions with easier simulation of supply alternatives. Buyers will be able to lower their procurement costs as a result of the advances on standard integration to the Ariba Network. Meanwhile, at the shop floor, enterprises will be able to offer better customer service thanks to a new sales order fulfilment cockpit that could identify and clear bottlenecks instantly.

These line of business improvements will be found across the SAP portfolio in applications such as SAP Cash Management, SAP SuccessFactor, the Ariba Network in procurement and SAP hybris systems for marketing and commerce.

“We worked together closely to identify where digitized operations can provide the most value,” said Bernd Leukert, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, Products & Innovation.

Big Data, HANA, News & Analysis, Quentin Clark, SAP, Stacey Allaster, tennis, WTA

WTA, SAP team on tennis analytics using HANA cloud

SAP and the WTA are partnering to develop a cloud-based analytics service for tennis players and coaches

SAP and the WTA are partnering to develop a cloud-based analytics service for tennis players and coaches

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and SAP have partnered to develop tennis analytics software for players and coaches based on SAP HANA.

The cloud-based analytics platform will offer players and coaches side-by-side comparisons of the full list of match stats for both players, updated in near real-time; scoring data that analyses player’s service performance, success rate in closing out a game while serving and number of break points saved; and tracking data showing player’s serve direction and placement on the court, contact point for returning a serve and placement of rally shots.

The organisations said players and coaches will be able to access the analytics platform from WTA-authorised tablets.

“The WTA and SAP Tennis Analytics is a game-changer that will not only enhance our athletes’ preparation and performance but also the fans’ experiences when watching women’s tennis,” said Stacey Allaster, chief executive and chairman of the WTA.

“Analyzing data is fundamental to player and coach development, and this state-of-the-art technology, which more and more of our performers are now using, will take our sport to a new and exciting level and lead the way in sports technology,” she said.

Quentin Clark, chief technology officer and member of the global managing board, SAP said: “Our relationship with the WTA is another example of how SAP collaborates with partners to create ground-breaking solutions that change the way athletes utilize data and information to optimise their performance.”

SAP has partnered with a number of sports association in recent years. Earlier this year it partnered with the National Hockey League (NHL) to roll out a co-designed cloud-based platform which the two organisations said would help bring vast amounts of official NHL statistical information directly to the website in real time.

Enterprise IT, HANA, Lufthansa, News & Analysis, SAP

Lufthansa enlists SAP to help crunch IoT data

Lufthansa's IT-focused subsidiary is analysing IoT data to optimise its operations

Lufthansa’s IT-focused subsidiary is analysing IoT data to optimise its operations

Lufthansa Systems is using SAP HANA to bridge the gap between GIS systems and Internet of Things sensors to optimise flight operations.

The IT solutions-focused subsidiary of the German airline, a longtime customer and partner of SAP, said it is using HANA SPS10 to track flight operations and combine the data with information on changes in airport and meteorological conditions, and other fleet-related data monitored and analysed in real-time.

“Together with SAP, we built a prototype of a future operational database for commercial flight support,” said Christoph Krüger, lead architect, Lufthansa Systems.

“The spatial engine in SAP HANA has given us the ability to track thousands of flights per day on a rich 3D mapping interface that includes both spatial and temporal coordinates.”

“At the same time, we were able to uncover breakthrough application scenarios that would not have been possible.”

The company is using the solution to dispatch, monitor and visualise air traffic in a bid to optimise its operations.

Bluefin, consultancy, HANA, James Appleby, Krishnakumar Natarajan, M&A, Mindtree, News & Analysis, SAP

IT consultancy Mindtree buys Bluefin to bolster SAP expertise

Mindtree has acquired Bluefin to bolster its SAP cred

Mindtree has acquired Bluefin to bolster its SAP cred

Mindtree has acquired Bluefin Solutions, an IT consultancy with particular expertise in SAP software, for an undisclosed sum. Krishnakumar Natarajan, chief executive and managing director of  Mindtree told BCN the move will help boost its European presence and its competencies around IoT, in-memory computing, and mobile.

Headquartered in the UK, Bluefin delivers a range of IT consultancy services with a specialisation in SAP technology, and Natarajan said the acquisition will bolster its reach in traditional European enterprises and public sector organisations, and create opportunities to bring its HANA cloud expertise to the US.

“SAP is not only a powerhouse of innovation, it is the commercial backbone of many of the largest global enterprises,” Natarajan said. “Mindtree and Bluefin can now offer unique integrated front-end, back-end and support services with unrivalled expertise on a global scale. This is essential to truly global organisations looking to use technology to digitize the entire value chain.

James Appleby, group chief executive of Bluefin Solutions told BCN that while its clients continue to look to it for expertise in many traditional areas where SAP has some tech leverage – BI, EPM, CRM, trade investment solutions – its clients are increasingly looking to take those platforms to the cloud, a strong growth area for the company.

“One of our most interesting client-observations is in the UK Public Sector, where the coincidental timing of government cut backs and the maturing of new technologies has been a disruptive force of innovation, particularly around citizen engagement, willingness to share and the opportunities offered by cloud,” he said.

“We certainly see an increased uptake of SaaS solutions in large enterprises with C4C really only taking off in the last 12 months in a meaningful way.  IaaS is now the default choice in many organisations for non-productive solutions and the decisions organisations are taking regarding HANA will increase the uptake of IaaS both as a platform for productive and non-productive use.”

He explained SAP’s HANA Enterprise Cloud had some teething problems at first, which wasn’t helped by the way the firm priced its consumption-based licensing, but that its PaaS – HANA Cloud Platform – remains massively underexploited in today’s market.

“Currently we are seeing it being used to extend SaaS applications but it is a powerful modern platform which could deliver much more for clients in terms of value,” he said.

Cardiff Council, Cormac Watters, HANA, News & Analysis, Ross Maude, SAP

Cardiff Council moves customer services onto SAP cloud

Cardiff Council is aligning its IT strategy with a shift towards self-service government

Cardiff Council is aligning its IT strategy with a shift towards self-service government

The City of Cardiff Council is moving onto SAP’s customer service cloud in a bid to streamline customer service operations and deliver budget savings, the organisations announced this week.

The three-year project will see Cardiff Council work with SAP to move onto its customer services cloud, which is powered by the company’s in-memory compute platform HANA.

The Council’s goal is to create a digital self-service portal that will enable residents to interact online with municipal services, which will significantly reduce administrative costs according to the Council.

“The public service mandate of ‘do more with less’ is not going away, but for us, it’s an opportunity to bring our thriving city into the digital age in a way that will bring us long-term financial savings” said Ross Maude, senior enterprise architect at Cardiff Council.

Indeed the Council is facing £124m in budget cuts over the next three years, and to deliver those savings without impacting the services delivered to residents the Council is looking to increase automation – which is where cloud services comes into play.

“The services we provide are important for everyone from the elderly, to university students and public sector workers, and ensuring we’re still able to maintain the level and quality of service we have today despite our financial pressures is crucial. Our relationship with SAP means that together we’re able to implement an integrated cloud-based solution that brings all of our systems together allows us to focus on the growing needs of Cardiff residents,” Maude added.

Cormac Watters, managing director, SAP UK and Ireland said: For local authorities like Cardiff Council, finding ways to minimise costs is their number one priority. Coupled with a young, digitally-advanced demographic, the Council has taken a bold approach to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges”

“It will also support the delivery of new digital services geared to the highly-connected user, providing greater choice, more self-service options, better access and flexibility, resulting in improved user adoption and unlocking cost savings at every turn. This is essential at a time when budgets are under substantial pressure,” Watters said.