SAP invests in cloud computing pioneer image

When it comes to SAP, people may immediately think of the Super boring enterprise resource planning software (ERP). But the company, a Waldorf based in Germany, is trying to change that image.

At a news conference in San Francisco in the morning of Tuesday, SAP launched a series of measures aimed at boosting the company's market share in databases and mobile applications. To achieve this goal, SAP will launch a 155 million dollar venture capital fund to encourage research and development based on Hana applications. Hana is the company's recently launched memory database technology. It also allocates 337 million dollars (converted to euros as an easy to remember integer) budget to help customers turn to Hana database platforms. In mobile applications, SAP announced it was acquiring Syclo, the company's mobile application provider, but did not disclose the exact price of the deal, and announced other developments.

"We have the ability to be the fastest growing database company in the world," said Vischer Scar, executive director of SAP, Director of technology and innovation, to a roomful of reporters and analysts.

Hana is very promising. It was the fastest-growing product of SAP company in nearly 40 years, making it easy to earn more than $200 million last year. But until 2011, the company had not even launched its database business, and most SAP apps were actually running on a database platform built by rival Oracle.

SAP believes it is expected to become the second largest provider of databases 2015 years ago. Even for co-CEO McDermott and Snabe, this is an ambitious goal. But if SAP can inspire developer interest and create a large number of enterprise-class applications based on the Hana platform, achieving this goal is not an impossible task. Of course, Hana is still in the early stages of development, and Oracle is bound to fight back (Oracle refuses to be interviewed by the author).

In addition, SAP is also exerting its force in the field of mobile applications. It will take some time to become an enterprise-oriented itunes if it really does. But SAP has begun to better explain its vision and strategy for mobile applications and Hana platforms. What remains unclear is the company's overall plan for cloud computing. Cloud computing is the industry's biggest and most threatening evolutionary trend for SAP product lines.

In a recent interview with Fortune magazine, Fortune, the new head of cloud business at SAP, said he expects all SAP applications (even core ERP software) to be applied to cloud computing one day in the near future Lasse Dharghad. Dharghad is expected to stage his cloud strategy at the SAP Company's annual conference Sapphire now. The outspoken young executive will also have a place on the board of directors. If Dharghad can thrive in SAP's corporate culture, he (and Hana and mobile apps) may eventually play a key role in the process of transforming SAP from a strong but aging ERP provider into a more innovative enterprise.

Translator: Ninvenko

(Responsible editor: The good of the Legacy)