Sidebar: CEO Sees SAP Software on More Intel Clusters
Computerworld -
NEW YORK -- Henning Kagermann, CEO of SAP, spoke with Computerworld last week about the impact of Intel-based server clusters on his enterprise applications business. Excerpts from that interview follow:
Are you recommending to your customers that they move to Dell two- and four-way clusters? No, we can't. We have [SAP] benchmarks, and these benchmarks are standard benchmarks for all of the key hardware suppliers. If Dell can achieve very, very good figures, as we have seen in the standard environment, then it's something that is known to all customers in the world, and it's up to them to make their choice. But SAP never makes recommendations. A customer makes a choice. That's very important, because the client wants us to be, to some extent, neutral.
Based on what you're seeing in the benchmarks, do you expect to see a lot of your symmetric multiprocessing users moving to two- and four-way Intel clusters? There is a momentum, yes. How much? We will see. But if you look to the installations in the last quarters, we can see some [growth], that's true.
A lot of your customers run their systems on Unix-based Sun and IBM systems. Are you concerned that you might alienate some of those customers with the Dell agreement? No. You have to understand, all these clients, when they invested in hardware, also looked at the benchmarks at that time.
Making benchmarks is not new for SAP. We started in the 1990s, because when Unix took off, there was always the question of which Unix flavor is the best one. Now I think we have new players, and [Dell CEO] Michael Dell is changing the game. Now, for new clients there is a new benchmark, and they will make up their mind. But that's up to the customer.

Henning Kagermann, CEO of SAP
Read more about erp/supply chain in Computerworld's ERP/Supply Chain Knowledge Center.
ERP/Supply Chain
Additional Resources



Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.
White Papers & Webcasts
Tuning ERP and the Supply Chain for Profitable Growth
Download this white paper now!
Data in Action: Making the Planet Smarter
Register Now
Five Ways ERP Can Help You Implement Lean
Download this white paper now!
Key Strategies for IT Success in Today's Distribution Environment
Download this White Paper!
The Workday User Experience Video
Watch Workday's Creative Director, Scott Lietzke, discuss the business-centered design philosophy at Workday.
Bringing Web 2.0 to the Enterprise
Downlaod this white paper now!
Business Process Framework Demo
Learn about Configurable Business Processes and Calculated Fields. Watch Now!
12 Criteria for Selecting the Best ERP System Replacement
Download this white paper now!
Manager Experience Demo
Go beyond self-service solutions to perform more effectively. Watch Now.

