Latest on SAP: News, Features, Opinions and More  The whole enchilada: Integrated compute platforms steamroll across IT
Vendors are rebuilding the mainframe with converged infrastructure, collapsed kit or integrated compute platforms -- whatever you want to call it. And customers are loving it. SAP to crunch and sell carriers' data on mobile use
Mobile operators collect huge amounts of data about how their subscribers use mobile data, and that information is starting to go on sale as targeted intelligence that enterprises can use to better reach consumers. SAP builds out HANA platform and ecosystem
Anyone remotely within the orbit of SAP lately knows that its number-one focus is the HANA in-memory database and development platform. At this week's Sapphire conference in Orlando, the vendor sought to show the progress it is making in both building out HANA's capabilities as well as attracting developers and partners to HANA. SAP updates line-of-business cloud apps
Selling SaaS (software as a service) applications aimed at specific lines of business is one way that SAP has tried to stake a claim in the world of cloud computing and during the Sapphire conference it unveiled a broad series of updates to the portfolio. SAP unveils 'consumer-friendly' Fiori app suite
SAP's software is known for its role running many of the world's largest companies, but not necessarily for its user-friendliness. As part of an ongoing effort to change this perception, SAP unveiled Fiori, a set of 25 lightweight "consumer-friendly" applications that can run on desktops, tablets and mobile devices, on Wednesday at the Sapphire conference in Orlando. Mobile management morphs
Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige. SAP hopes its software scores with sports teams
SAP is hoping to win points with professional sports teams by showing how its HANA in-memory database, analytics, mobile software and other technologies can help them make fans happier, find better players and improve their operations. SAP offers mobile device management for $1.30 a month on Amazon's cloud
A new cloud version of SAP's Afaria mobile device management software offers IT departments a more convenient way of controlling mobile devices. SAP says HANA will power all cloud applications
SAP's HANA Cloud Platform, consisting of the core in-memory database plus application development tools, analytics and integration services, will eventually underpin all of its cloud-based applications, the company said at its Sapphire conference. SAP expands reach of app store, looks to improve reviews
You know you're not in iTunes anymore when the app you're eyeing has a US$1,050 price tag, but SAP is nonetheless expanding its online shopping experience in a bid to entice its customers to purchase enterprise software the way they shop on their smartphones. What to expect at SAP's Sapphire
SAP's Sapphire conference kicks off next week in Orlando, setting the stage for the company to sell customers on its visions for cloud-based applications, in-memory computing and mobility. SAP unveils HANA Enterprise Cloud service
SAP is set to offer customers the option of running their applications on top of a cloud-based version of its HANA in-memory database technology. SAP loses bid to overturn $345M patent judgment
An appeals court has rejected SAP's attempt to overturn a $345 million judgment awarded to Versata Software, which had brought a patent-infringement case against the software maker. SAP launches ride-sharing app TwoGo
SAP has expanded its foray into corporate sustainability with the release of a carpooling application called TwoGo. SAP and Oracle winners as software growth slows, IDC says
A growing interest in big data, analytics and cloud computing helped propel a weak software enterprise market last year, according to research from IDC. SAP and Oracle fared the best among the large software vendors. Infor launches version 10x, plans IBM SmartCloud launch for its apps
Infor is hoping a new social collaboration tool, updated middleware and user interfaces, as well as options for cloud-based deployments, will help cement its place as one of the industry's largest ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendors after SAP and Oracle. Wall Street Beat: Tech bellwethers report mixed quarter
Some of the biggest names in IT including IBM, Microsoft, Google and Intel reported quarterly earnings this week, revealing a picture of the tech sector that, while not as gloomy as had been feared, is nevertheless mixed. SAP's first quarter: The key questions
SAP will announce its first-quarter 2013 earnings on Friday, a report that will get heavy scrutiny from company watchers. Here's a look at some of the more important topics that should come up during SAP executives' conference calls with press and analysts on Friday. SAP's effort to get startups to support HANA chugs along
SAP has spent the past year wooing entrepreneurs around the world in hopes they'll be entranced enough by its much-hyped HANA in-memory database to build products and even entire companies around the technology. On Friday, SAP brought the road show to Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a vibrant community of tech entrepreneurs. Tech overhaul for Portland police, fire, 3 years behind schedule, $10M over-budget
A sweeping overhaul of systems used by Portland, Ore.'s fire and police departments is three years behind schedule and about $10 million over budget, in part because city officials failed to "effectively use lessons learned" from past technology projects, including a troubled SAP software implementation, according to a new audit report. SAP sues to protect customers from patent suits
SAP has filed a court action against patent holder Pi-Net International, which it says has filed patent infringement lawsuits against a number of SAP customers. Epicor suit claims services firm hijacked its ERP software
Epicor is suing IT service provider Alternative Technology Solutions, claiming the company illegally used its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software in order to develop and sell add-ons and services, in a case that has parallels to tussles over third-party software maintenance. Enterprise apps get social
Combining the ad-hoc nature of social media with the more structured world of enterprise apps such as CRM is often the best of both worlds, implementers say. Jack Gold: Has BYOD peaked?
Expect enterprises to start instituting stricter policies to make BYOD a more secure and cost-effective policy. Microsoft targets enterprise with Dynamics AX ERP
Microsoft hoped recent updates to its Dynamics AX 2012 ERP software would help it grab enterprise-level deals that would ordinarily be won by the likes of Oracle and SAP. To some degree, the strategy appears to be clicking. Z10 sales start Friday in U.S., but Blackberry's future still far from certain
BlackBerry Z10 sales kick off this Friday in the U.S., but it is still unclear how popular the smartphone and its Q10 cousin running BlackBerry 10 will be, amid a number of contradictory predictions and indicators. Cloud services can save you money -- if you're careful
Calculating the real ROI of cloud apps requires the analysis of a lot of factors, and cutting corners on that process means you might not save money. Infor says push into middleware is clicking
Infor, the software industry's third-largest ERP vendor after SAP and Oracle, has been building out its own underlying technology platform in a bid to gain more revenue as well as provide customers with easier integration and system management. The company maintains that strategy is clicking as its ION middleware has become the fastest-growing product in the vendor's history. Finishing massive California SAP project may not be 'feasible,' study says
It may not be 'feasible' to complete a gigantic SAP software project meant to unify California's many public employee payroll systems, according to a report issued this week by the office of the state Legislative Analyst. SAP to buy Camilion for insurance software
SAP is expanding its array of software products for the insurance industry with the acquisition of Camilion. Terms were not disclosed. Academy Cube online learning platform aims to tackle IT skills shortage
Software vendors, academic institutions and government agencies united on Tuesday to tackle European youth unemployment and the IT skills shortage with a new online education platform. SAP pins future hopes on growth of Ariba business network
After 12 successive quarters of double-digit growth at SAP, co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe is now pinning his future hopes on the company's recently acquired Ariba e-commerce network. Internal document suggests SAP's goal of simplifying licensing will be a tall order
SAP customers have made it no secret they believe the vendor's software licensing and pricing is too complex, and a top company leader recently made a public pledge that things are changing for the better. But a recently created internal SAP document obtained by IDG News Service suggests that the company has its work cut out for it. SAP and Ericsson join forces on M2M services
Ericsson and SAP will jointly market and sell cloud-based, machine-to-machine (M2M) products and services to enterprises via operators around the globe. SAP adds to supply-chain tech with SmartOps acquisition
SAP has acquired SmartOps in a move the company says will allow it to develop real-time supply chain applications that take advantage of SAP's HANA in-memory database. BYOD gets attention at Mobile World Congress
Helping IT shops deal with the security and management of consumer smartphones and tablets in the workplace will be a big theme at Mobile World Congress this week. SAP looks to score points for its HANA database with NBA statisics site
SAP is hoping to nail a slam dunk for its HANA in-memory platform through a partnership with the National Basketball Association on a new HANA-powered statistics website. California ends contract with SAP over troubled IT project
California has terminated its contract with SAP in connection with a $371 million software system that was supposed to overhaul the state's payroll system but instead ended up mired in major delays and cost overruns. Ex-partner charges Oracle with waging 'systematic attack' against third-party support
Former Oracle partner CedarCrestone is alleging the vendor has engaged in an "unlawful and systematic attack" against the third-party support market and has a monopoly on support revenue. SAP user groups unhappy with upcoming support fee increase
SAP user groups aren't pleased with the vendor's announcement this week that new customers will soon pay more for Standard Support, but at least so far, there doesn't seem to be a backlash as strong as the one that occurred a few years ago over SAP's higher-priced Enterprise Support service. SAP payroll software woes plague electric utility for months
Electric utility National Grid is still trying to resolve problems with its recently implemented SAP payroll system that cropped up after Hurricane Sandy, the major storm that caused widespread damage on the U.S. East Coast and the Caribeean in late October. SAP to hike Standard Support fees on new contracts
SAP is planning to impose a higher price on its Standard Support software maintenance offering later this year, with the increase applying only to new contracts. SAP partner program expands, adds cloud apps
SAP's burgeoning portfolio of cloud-based applications has prompted it to make some changes to its PartnerEdge channel program. Oracle database 12c close to general release, sources say
The general availability of Oracle's long-awaited, next-generation 12c database will likely occur within weeks or possibly even days, the IDG News Service has learned. SAP to buy Ticket-Web, a CRM tool for promoters of sports and entertainment events
SAP plans to extend its CRM offering with the acquisition of Ticket-Web, a German specialist in online ticketing for sports and entertainment venues. BaaS: It's a crowded (and young) market
Back-end as a service offers standard features to drop into your apps, so your developers can spend their time on the most strategic pieces. Speed up mobile app-dev with back-end as a service
Vendors offer code drop-ins that standardize common mobile features, including messaging and payment, so your in-house developers can focus on the functions that are most important to your business. Mobile apps are a priority in search of a leader
Traditional IT vendors aren't leading with software, and businesses aren't hiring mobile leaders, according an Appcelerator survey SAP revenue in fourth quarter boosted by cloud, HANA, mobile
SAP's revenue in the fourth quarter grew by 12 percent, helped by strong growth in the market for its cloud applications, its HANA in-memory database and mobile applications. What to look for in SAP's Q4 earnings report
As it has in the past, SAP spilled the beans a bit early on its fourth-quarter and year-end performance with the release of preliminary results last week. On Wednesday, the vendor is about to fill in the details. Smartphone world to get two new OSes in 2013
Smartphones running Mozilla Firefox and Jolla Sailfish will launch separately in 2013 amid a crowded smartphone market. SAP says preliminary Q4 results show strong jump in software revenues
SAP's revenue from software and software-related services showed ample growth thanks in part to its HANA in-memory database and to strength in its portfolio of cloud applications, the company said Tuesday as it reported preliminary numbers for the quarter and year ended Dec. 31. Luxottica Retail APAC CIO, Stephen McKinnon
Making sense of social media analytics while juggling IT priorities across Asia Pacific for eyewear distributor Luxottica Retail is a role that CIO, Stephen McKinnon, relishes. Marin County settles legal claims against Deloitte, SAP over software project
A long-running legal dispute between Marin County, California, Deloitte Consulting and SAP over a troubled software project has concluded in a legal settlement this week that will reportedly net the county far less money than it had sought. Update: SAP ports its Business Suite to HANA
SAP's flagship Business Suite enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can now run on top of the HANA in-memory database, in a move that stands to open new frontiers of competition with the likes of Oracle, IBM and Microsoft. Q&A: NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson talks growth, strategy and life with Oracle
NetSuite is one of the SaaS (software as a service) market's pioneers, having sold its growing family of ERP (enterprise resource planning), e-commerce and other applications since 1998. The vendor's results have been beating Wall Street's predictions, and may yet again in a few weeks, when NetSuite is expected to announce its fourth-quarter and year-end results. SaaS in 2013: Companies and trends to watch
As 2013 begins, the SaaS (software as a service) market is set to heat up even more, as well as potentially undergo a number of key shifts. Here's a look at a series of key SaaS vendors and trends to watch as the year unfolds. SAP in 2013: Five things to watch
It was a typically busy year for SAP, with the company making headlines for strong sales of its HANA in-memory database, high-profile acquisitions and aggressive moves into cloud computing. Oracle's Database Appliance certified for SAP software
Some of SAP's software products are now certified for use with Oracle's Database Appliance, which is essentially a streamlined version of its Exadata machine aimed at small and medium-size businesses. The scariest software project horror stories of 2012
Sure, plenty of enterprise software projects go just fine and end up giving customers all the things vendors promise: lower operating costs, streamlined operations and happier users. Xerox, PeopleSoft service provider in software project dustup
Xerox is being sued by systems integrator CedarCrestone over payments related to an Oracle PeopleSoft upgrade at insurer CIGNA. SAP retools research strategy; now focused on internal startups
SAP has turned heads in recent years with a number of high-profile acquisitions, scooping up SuccessFactors, Sybase and Ariba for more than $13 billion collectively. But company executives also maintain they intend to increase revenues through aggressive organic growth. Analyst, SAP dispute over reported support discounts reveals murky picture
SAP and a financial analyst are at loggerheads over a recent report by the analyst, which said that a handful of customers had received substantial discounts on their software maintenance renewals. HP-Autonomy fraud allegations fallout: The winners and losers
Hewlett-Packard's bombshell revelation that it would take a $8.8 billion non-cash writedown after allegedly discovering major accounting fraud related to its Autonomy business unit has rocked the tech world. HP to 'seek redress' for alleged Autonomy accounting fraud
Hewlett-Packard is planning to "aggressively" seek recompense for alleged accounting fraud related to the acquisition of its Autonomy unit, which resulted in the vendor taking a non-cash impairment charge of US$8.8 billion. SAP certifies Business Suite for production use on Amazon Web Services
SAP Business Suite customers can now run the software in production form on Amazon Web Services, the companies announced this week during the Sapphire and Tech Ed conferences in Madrid. Windows 8 tablets need more apps, but OS will eventually outpace Android, SAP exec says
Windows 8 might, or might not, prove to be a big hit with enterprise customers. But SAP is betting it will become an important platform in the workplace, an SAP executive said Thursday Salesforce.com's Complexity Brings CIOs, Partners Together
As Salesforce.com's SaaS offerings become more sophisticated, configuration and deployment gets more complex. In response, enterprises are increasingly turning to partners for implementation help. SAP goes big on Windows 8 with six new apps
SAP announced strong support for the Windows 8 platform this week, including six upcoming mobile apps that focus on business training, recruiting and sales SAP to add 'mission-critical' features to HANA in-memory database
SAP has developed an update for its HANA in-memory database that will enable it to "power mission-critical transactional and analytical applications in one platform," the vendor announced Wednesday during the Tech Ed and Sapphire conferences in Madrid. SAP promises '360-degree' view of customer with HANA-powered CRM platform
SAP is tying the HANA in-memory database to its CRM software and other applications, creating a package that will "allow organizations to revolutionize the way they engage with their customers," the company announced Tuesday during the Sapphire and Tech Ed conferences in Madrid. SAP unveils Ariba integration plans
SAP on Tuesday is expected to showcase how it will tie together its business applications with the cloud-based business network it gained through the acquisition of Ariba during the Sapphire and Tech Ed conferences in Madrid. Manufacturer sues IBM over SAP project 'disaster'
IBM has been slapped with a multimillion dollar lawsuit by chemical products manufacturer Avantor Performance Materials, which alleges that IBM lied about the suitability of a SAP-based software package it sells in order to win Avantor's business. Top tools for BYOD management
When we tested mobile device management (MDM) last year, the products were largely focused on asset management - provisioning, protecting and containing mobile devices. Insider (registration required) SAP goes after Salesforce.com with new social software products, strategy
SAP on Wednesday made a series of announcements meant to define itself as a major player in the enterprise social software market with a superior approach to rivals such as Salesforce.com. Sybase chief John Chen leaving SAP
Sybase CEO John Chen is leaving SAP, roughly two-and-a-half years after SAP acquired the company for its database and mobility technologies, SAP announced Tuesday. Wall Street Beat: Tech shares tread water amid mixed earnings
Tech stocks were flat Friday afternoon after earnings announcements from IT vendors this week and a government economic report offered glimpses of good news, but not enough to dispel the pall that hangs over the technology market. SAP details policies, pricing for linking cloud apps
SAP has laid out a set of pricing and policies for tying together its array of cloud-based and on-premises applications, providing some options at no charge, but others that will cost customers additional money. Show will go on for SAP user conferences in Spain
SAP now says it will proceed with two major user conferences set for Madrid next month, after saying earlier this week that it was weighing its options following concerns over labor strikes planned for the same time as the shows. SAP aims to be the Apple of enterprise mobility
A home improvement retail chain can use an app running on an iPad to help design a customer's home, check inventory for the products, give a cost estimate to the customer, and take orders. SAP co-CEO: We're working to fix software licensing, pricing complexity
SAP is aware of widespread user discontent over the complexity involved with licensing rules and pricing for its software and is working to remedy the situation, co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe said. Labor strikes could affect upcoming SAP user conferences in Madrid
Labor strikes planned for November in Portugal, Spain and Greece may force the delay or cancellation of SAP's Sapphire Now and Tech Ed conferences in Madrid. SAP reports strong third quarter, revises 2012 outlook
SAP reported Wednesday double-digit revenue growth in the third quarter, benefiting from a strong performance in the Americas and double-digit growth in the Asia-Pacific and Japan region, and high demand for its new technologies like HANA across all regions. Internal SAP document reveals potential plans for next-gen BI, 'HANA Explorer'
SAP is working on a number of potential next-generation BI (business intelligence) technologies meant to exploit the company's HANA in-memory database, including a new version of the popular Explorer visualization tool, according to an internal document posted on the company's website. How to make an SAP enhancement pack upgrade 'silent'
Several years ago, SAP introduced enhancement packs, which were supposed to provide a much easier and less painful way to upgrade its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. Executives extolled how customers could add new functionality without committing to a full-blown upgrade. Early SAP HANA customers separate reality from the hype
Anyone even loosely following SAP lately should know that the company's goal is to reorient its entire product family around the HANA in-memory database, which first became generally available last year. According to SAP, HANA provides a level of performance improvement that can be nothing short of dazzling. SAP to give business tools a consumer-app makeover
A series of initiatives are under way at SAP with the goal of bringing its business applications much closer to the ease of use and eye-catching visuals provided by consumer applications, particularly ones made amid the boom in mobile computing. SAP unveils HANA-powered cloud development platform
SAP laid out broad details of a new cloud-based application development platform powered by the HANA in-memory database during the Tech Ed conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday. SAP puts its HANA in-memory database on Amazon Web Services
SAP has made its HANA in-memory database available on Amazon Web Services at an hourly rate, giving customers and partners a new way to try out the platform quickly without investing in hardware and perpetual software licenses, the company announced Tuesday at the Tech Ed conference in Las Vegas. SAP to offer containment software for smartphone and tablet security
Enterprise software maker SAP plans to ship software that separates business data from personal information on smartphones and tablets. Oracle sheds more light on database 12c, Exadata X3
Oracle gave attendees of the OpenWorld conference a deeper look at its new 12c database and Exadata X3 machine, which were initially announced Sunday by CEO Larry Ellison . SAP NetWeaver Cloud platform as a service release could be soon
SAP could be close to announcing the general availability of its foray into the PaaS (platform-as-a-service) market, NetWeaver Cloud, which will go up against rival offerings from the likes of Oracle and Salesforce.com. SAP bundles analytic apps with IQ database
SAP on Monday announced a new family of products that marry its Business Objects BI (business intelligence) software with the Sybase IQ analytic database and include specialized business content for use by various industries. Oracle buys SelectMinds to boost capabilities gained from Taleo acquisition
Oracle on Monday said it has agreed to acquire SelectMinds, a maker of "social talent sourcing software," in a bid to flesh out the capabilities it gained through this year's US$1.9 billion acquisition of Taleo. Zuckerberg: Stock 'disappointing,' phone not happening but search will
In his first public appearance since his company's sluggish IPO, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the company's stock performance 'disappointing.' Splunk Adds Visibility Into Virtual Environments
IaaS provider CloudShare deployed Splunk to correlate machine-generated data and provide insight into every aspect of its business. Oracle sues ex-partner CedarCrestone over software support
Oracle has sued former partner CedarCrestone on grounds it has been providing third-party support for Oracle's software in an illegal fashion, a move that echoes previous actions Oracle took against former SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow and Rimini Street. Epicor unveils cloud ERP tools for midsize firms, targets SAP, NetSuite
Epicor is ready to make a bigger play in cloud-based ERP software, with its offering now available to midsized manufacturers, the company announced Monday. SAP unveils HANA-powered cloud-based performance management apps
SAP on Monday is set to unveil a line of cloud-based EPM (enterprise performance management) applications that run on top of its HANA in-memory database platform. SAP exec: HANA customer count nears 600, pricing tweaks coming
SAP is close to having 600 customers for its HANA in-memory database platform and is also making some adjustments to enterprise edition pricing, an executive said during a webcast event on Wednesday.
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