Teleconferencing brings together Frankfurt and Orlando at SAPPHIRE NOW. (Photo: Christiane Stagge)
SAP SalesOnDemand: Facebook for Business
One of the products debuting at SAPPHIRE NOW is the on-demand solution SAP Business ByDesign 2.5, which is set for release in July 2010 and later as an iPhone/iPad app. Also on display is the brand-new SAP SalesOnDemand.
Satellite teleconferencing connected Frankfurt, Germany, and Orlando, Florida, for a second day at the SAPPHIRE NOW event, where SAP’s co-CEOs spoke about servers, software, and databases. This three-client structure has served as the foundation of SAP software for 15 years, contributing to the breakthrough of SAP R/3. However, in the age of Twitter, Facebook, and mobile Internet services, this model has run its course.
SAP’s elements of focus are still three: on-premise, on-demand, and on-device. In other words, whether it’s fixed installations of in-house solutions, rentable software, or software on smartphones, SAP wants to have the right products for its customers. Co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe then had a real surprise in store for those in attendance: the new software solution SAP SalesOnDemand, which is to unlock new potential as the “Facebook for business.” While no exact information is currently available, we can show you an exclusive first screenshot of this tool.
SAP SalesOnDemand is to become the “Facebook for business.” (Photo: Frank Völkel)
SAP Business ByDesign 2.5: On Sale July 2010
Meanwhile, Jim Hagemann Snabe’s clear focus is on on-demand solutions. SAP wants to become the market leader in software users can work with through Web browsers. On the morning of the second day in Frankfurt, Snabe admitted to select customers that the original release of SAP Business ByDesign could have been smoother. “Programming an on-demand solution that supports every company’s workflows isn’t easy. However, SAP has learned a lot and profited from our customers’ feedback,” he said.
SAP Business ByDesign is currently available for testing in both versions 2.0 and 2.5, the latter of which is scheduled for release in July 2010. Testers can choose from 11 different scenarios (datasets). In Orlando, we obtained an initial impression of the on-demand solution as part of a test drive. Why not try it out yourself? Those interested can access both versions of the solution through this link (leads directly to SAP Business ByDesign).