SAP has been touting an exciting announcement set to be made on Jan. 27: RISE with SAP. But what is it about and why should SAP customers care? There is a lot of speculation around the announcement, but so far, SAP hasn’t revealed anything concrete about what will come out and what it will mean for your business going forward.
However, we do know that since the Q3 2020 earnings report, SAP CEO Christian Klein has been focused on the Intelligent Enterprise and the desire to have customers—both current and new—move to SAP S/4HANA. Moreover, according to Klein, the path to both will run on the cloud.
RISE with SAP: Look to the Cloud for Answers
Peter Pluim, SAP executive VP and global head of Enterprise Cloud Service and SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, recently blogged about the announcement. “In Gartner’s Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2021, the industry analyst firm based its predictions on three themes: people-centricity, location independence, and resilient delivery,” Pluim wrote. “These themes also show the critical role of the cloud supporting these trends as well the required business transformation, not only in 2020, but certainly for 2021 and beyond.”
He added, “Cloud technology keeps people connected and enables collaboration in a distributed work environment. Companies can become more location-independent by adopting the cloud, and they can become more resilient through the ability to adapt more quickly.”
In 2020, it was clear that more companies had realized the value of cloud technology and its role in digital transformation. And SAP took note. In fact, Klein announced during the Q3 2020 earnings call that SAP will “accelerate transition to the cloud,” targeting more than $26 billion in cloud revenue by 2025. As the push for companies to adopt intelligent technologies and become intelligent enterprises becomes more paramount, SAP will likely look to make the journey more approachable and attainable.
RISE with SAP: Look for the Intelligence
In closing the Q3 2020 earnings call, Klein noted, “As the CEO of SAP, I firmly believe that prioritizing sustainable value creation has to be our top priority. Therefore, we will not trade the success of our customers and the significant growth potential of SAP against short-term maximization.”
Sustainable value creation—in this instance—means walking the walk with its customers and rising above the challenges that were presented last year. According to the RISE with SAP website, customers can tune in to learn more about how SAP and its partners can simplify digital transformation journeys, discover new ways to grow their business, and deliver the best cloud experience to their customers.
ASUG is prepared to help SAP customers understand the offer and how it can assist their transformation plans. A series of upcoming ASUG events will guide customers to understand what’s new, connect them with SAP experts, and get their questions answered. A special ASUG member webcast on Feb. 2 tops the list, but also look for several exclusive ASUG Executive Exchange virtual events and SAP partner gatherings to help members understand what “RISE with SAP” means for their business.
Save the date for RISE with SAP: The Introduction on Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT, and keep an eye out for upcoming ASUG events around the announcement and what it means for SAP customers. We’ll start with an ASUG Executive Exchange event on Feb. 2 and a webcast with ASUG CEO Geoff Scott on Feb. 4.