SAP launches cloud edition of SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA

SAP has announced the cloud edition of SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA (SAP S/4HANA), which brings the next wave of simplification and innovations across core business functions at SAPPHIRE NOW, held May 5-7 in the US.

“With the SAP S/4HANA, cloud edition, we are delivering on our promise to give complete choice to customers for adopting the next-generation business suite,” said Bernd Leukert, a member of the Executive Board, Products & Innovation, SAP SE. 

“SAP S/4HANA is now available on-premise, in the cloud and even allows true hybrid scenarios. This is unique in the industry. Customers can rely on a modern digital business foundation to reimagine their business, on-premise or in the cloud, at a large scale.” 

SAP launched SAP S/4HANA business suite in February 2015. The launch has already resulted in more than 370 customers for SAP S/4HANA. Existing and new customers will be able to adopt the cloud edition of SAP S/4HANA via a simple subscription model. SAP aims to support customers in their journey with predefined migration, system conversion in the cloud, guided configuration and deployment packages to drive quicker time to value. The cloud edition of SAP S/4HANA will be updated quarterly. 

In addition to the available business scenarios for the marketing line of business and the professional services industry, customers will now also be able to run their entire enterprise in the cloud with a digital core comprising the most essential scenarios including finance, accounting, controlling, procurement, sales, manufacturing, plant maintenance, project system and product lifecycle management. 

The offering also plans to provide native integration between SAP S/4HANA and other cloud solutions from SAP, including those from SAP companies SuccessFactors in human resources and Ariba in procurement, as well as integration with the SAP hybris Marketing solution, SAP Fieldglass Vendor Management System and the SAP Jam social software platform. The cloud edition is also expected to connect with global business networks such as the Ariba Network and software from Concur, an SAP company. 

In addition, SAP HANA Cloud Platform aims to serve as an extension platform and agility layer for the cloud edition. This way, customers and partners will be able to build specific capabilities extending the scope of SAP S/4HANA by either integrating non-SAP functions or building their own innovations. With SAP S/4HANA, cloud edition, enterprises can now participate in the digital economy with a suite that intends to bring together the simplicity of the cloud and the value of instant insight across industries, business functions and networks, and granular data sets.

“SAP S/4HANA is redefining the concept of enterprise resource planning. This next-generation business suite unifies software and people to help businesses run simpler and in real-time, in a digital networked economy. Our customers including La Trobe University, PT Delami Garment Industries and Siam City Cement are already running this innovative business suite, and are enjoying numerous benefits such as simplified adoption, data model, user experience, decision making and processes,” said Simon Dale, General Manager, Innovation Sales, SAP Asia Pacific Japan.

“Many companies are at a crossroads with their IT and business process innovation. They need advanced capabilities and new user experiences and they need to connect formerly disparate business processes, and siloed applications into a coherent, holistic enterprise,” said Joshua Greenbaum, Principal of Enterprise Applications Consulting. “Making this possible without undue disruption requires a cloud-based solution that supports hybrid operations leveraging the latest in innovative technology. The SAP S/4HANA, cloud edition, provides exactly this kind of low-disruption, high-value foundation.”

The SAP Simple Finance solution, announced in June 2014, helps customers transform finance with instant insight and marked the first step in the roadmap for SAP S/4HANA. “SAP Simple Finance provides a stable and scalable solution to manage new business requirements and structural changes with minimal effort by streamlining La Trobe University’s general ledger and simplifying cost centres, cost centre groups and profit centre,” said Peter Nikoletatos, CIO, La Trobe University, which is based in Melbourne, Australia. 

“The system is also enabling consistent principles for security and workflow maintenance, and alignment of organisational changes, helping us to reach our goals of becoming a Top 500 University by 2017, enhancing the student experience and ensuring brilliant basics are the operational norm.”