SAP's on-demand strategy


 As SAP's new co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe continue to provide clarity on the vendor's product strategy moving forward, they have been careful not to leave SAP's on-demand strategy off the list. In fact, development and delivery of on-demand software is a big focus for SAP in 2010, as the vendor has cited the cloud as a major way it thinks customers will innovate moving forward.


SAP aims to deliver a hybrid approach to the cloud for larger customers -- providing on-demand, line-of-business applications to complement on-premise deployments of the Business Suite. It's hoping SMBs will look to Business ByDesign -- the notoriously beleaguered SaaS suite for companies between 100 and 500 employees. SAP plans to have the product generally available by July.


In this special report, learn more about SAP's on-demand strategy, including how on-demand and in-memory computing are priorities for SAP in 2010, and why SAP is trying to provide the best of both worlds when it comes to on-premise vs. on-demand BI deployments. Also learn more about why end-to-end process concerns and profitability questions have held up the release of SAP Business ByDesign, and how beta users and analysts think the product is improving.


Deciding whether SaaS is a good decision in an SAP shop


Users think SAP’s slow on SaaS, but they want it, survey reveals 
An SAP U.K. & Ireland User Group survey reveals that SAP customers want SaaS and are willing to wait to buy it from SAP -- but not for long.




TCO of SaaS: Is on-premise software a better deal over the long run?
SaaS may not necessarily be cheaper than on-premise software over the long term, but experts say that ease of use outweighs long-term SaaS TCO concerns for many. Read more to get examples of companies that use both on-demand and SAP on-premise software, and learn the benefits and disadvantages of SaaS.

SaaS scores lower than on-premise in business benefits
When it comes to timing and costs, traditional on-premise ERP implementations are taking a back seat to SaaS. But while SaaS may seem like an ideal alternative to on-premise, the road ahead isn't free of potholes.

NetSuite gets German certification for SaaS ERP, takes jab at SAP
In an effort to position itself as an SAP competitor, NetSuite's touted meeting tough compliance standards for SaaS ERP on SAP's home turf.

NetSuite targets SAP R/3 customers with discounted SaaS ERP offer
Trying to capitalize on anger over SAP support fee hikes, NetSuite offered SAP R/3 customers a guarantee to cut maintenance and support bills in half.

Video: Ray Wang on SAP's cloud strategy, SaaS options
SAP recently outlined its plans for on-demand software, which includes a major rollout of Business ByDesign. In this video, Ray Wang, partner at Altimeter Group, gives his take on SAP's cloud plans and offers some advice for prospective buyers.
What's in store for SAP on-demand software for large companies?


 SAP co-CEOs to prioritize product development, delivery
SAP co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe feel the need for speed. Learn more about SAP's new focus on delivering product roadmaps faster and how they think agile software development will help.

SAP: We're serious about SAP on-demand
SAP's outline for its product roadmap for 2010 has on-demand and in-memory computing leading the way. Read about SAP's plans for on-demand innovation and in-memory analytics.




On-premise vs. on-demand BI: SAP tries for the best of both worlds
When it comes to the debate over on-premise vs. on-demand business intelligence (BI) deployments, SAP BusinessObjects is trying to be all things to all customers in hopes to provide the best of both worlds.



SAP's Wookey outlines the company's on-demand ambitions
SAP customers won't be able to buy the entire SAP Business Suite on-demand, but will be able to add new, line-of-business apps on a subscription basis. Learn more about SAP's on-demand strategy for enterprises, including what SAP on-demand applications will look like and why they'll be multi-tenant.

SAP's CEO gets down to earth on plans for SAP cloud computing
As SAP shed some light on its plans for cloud computing, former CEO Leo Apotheker talked about why he believed you can't put everything in the cloud.
SAP Business ByDesign: SAP's on-demand strategy for SMBs



Sapphire: Users like SAP's push on mobile, on-demand and in-memory, but aren't ready
SAP reiterated at Sapphire its focus on delivering its software on-premise, on-demand and on mobile devices, and even made Business ByDesign generally available, two years after the on-demand suite for small to medium-sized enterprises was debuted with much fanfare and subsequently pulled back off the market. A new version of Business ByDesign, version 2.5, will be available in July.



Is Business ByDesign the future of SaaS CRM at SAP?
SAP confirmed predictions at Sapphire when it said the next version of SAP Business ByDesign will include a multi-tenancy option, real-time analytics, support for mobile devices, a better UI and a development environment for partners. The product also appears to be core to the new SaaS CRM strategy.

SAP Business ByDesign product demo
Interested in SAP Business ByDesign? SAP's Rainer Zinow recently showed the SaaS-based ERP system's capabilities with a short demo of the long-awaited product.

SAP: Business ByDesign needs more work in process execution, profitability
SAP claimed its on-demand ERP product -- Business ByDesign -- was available, but find out why end-to-end process concerns and profitability questions are holding up its release.

SAP announces Google, BusinessWire mashups for Business ByDesign
Google, BusinessWire and MapQuest mashups will be available for the few dozen users SAP has released Business ByDesign to.

SAP upgrades SAP Business ByDesign, integrates Xcelsius, Crystal Reports
SAP won over some new customers with a recent upgrade to SAP Business ByDesign. Learn about the most recent upgrade, Feature Pack 2, for SAP's SaaS ERP, and why it gained favor from companies like ResearchPoint.

SAP delays on-demand ERP
In early 2008, SAP scaled back development of Business ByDesign, postponing its targets 12 to 18 months. Find out what the delay meant for customers awaiting its release.