For the second year in a row, SAP hosted its SAPPHIRE NOW conference online, unveiling new products and strategies virtually. While COVID-19 is the obvious reason for this measure, the keynote—hosted by Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, and Julia White, chief marketing and solutions officer at SAP—addressed the problems and complications of the past year while also giving attendees a glimpse at how the software company is working to tackle the future.

“The way we live, the way we work, the way we consume will never be the same,” Klein said. He also discussed how COVID-19 is not the only challenge the world and global business community are facing, citing problems including inequality, social justice, and climate change. In the end, Klein and White made the case that interconnected networks leveraging technology can help the world confront and overcome these challenges. Over the past year, we have seen technology keep families and communities connected, while also assisting businesses as they pivoted and adapted to the turbulent times.

“The [COVID-19] crisis underscored the urgent need for every company to become an intelligent enterprise,” Klein said.

White and Klein discussed three of the main lessons the software company learned during the pandemic: resilient companies are those who embraced technology, the importance of community, and the need to become sustainable organizations. Here are some highlights from their 2021 SAPPHIRE NOW keynote address.