SAP BTP in Focus: A Comprehensive Overview
Those undergoing digital transformation often rely on the SAP Business Technology Platform. This can be viewed from many perspectives – and in Part 3 of our series, we do just that by adopting different roles.
Platform-as-a-Service is on everyone's lipssee Part 1. Designed and developed to support companies in their digital transformation and optimisation of business processes, SAP BTP has become one of the most important cloud-based solution platforms and has risen to the technical foundation of the entire SAP cloud ecosystem - or as SAP puts it: "Never without BTP". Those coming from the previous SAP on-premise world must consider several new or altered aspects and levels with SAP BTP. We want to examine why this is the case and which previous SAP areas are affected through different lenses.
- The Manufacturer's Perspective (& Operator) Taking a look at SAP BTP through SAP's eyes, we can recognise the vision. And what SAP intends. As a manufacturer, and unlike before, SAP also acts as an operator, focusing on providing a comprehensive platform and services that seamlessly integrate data management, application development, integration, and intelligent technologies. The vision emphasises agility and innovation, thereby creating intelligent & forward-looking companies.
- The Commercial Perspective The question at the centre here is: What does the commercial model of SAP BTP look like? Unlike pure licensing and support models, SAP BTP services offer various cloud rental models that ensure software, support, and operations. This is intended to enable organisations to optimise resource utilisation according to their requirements and needs.
- The Technical Perspective The technical side of SAP BTP currently includes over 90 services for advanced data management functions, modern application development tools, comprehensive integration options, and the integration of intelligent technologies such as AI and ML. This enables companies to modernise their IT landscape and make it future-ready. SAP plans and implements new standard solutions, extensions, and integrations of acquisitions almost exclusively on or with the Business Technology Platform.
- The Governance Perspective Here, the question arises as to how SAP BTP ensures governance and compliance in operation and meets its own requirements. The fact is: A strong focus is placed on security and regulatory compliance. Through enhanced security mechanisms and compliance standards, the platform enables companies to manage their data and processes securely and meet legal requirements. Further information is available in the SAP Trust Center.
- The Processes & Roles Perspective
As a further consequence of the cloud operator model, changes in the roles and responsibilities of the customer & SAP and the administrative processes of BTP services inevitably arise. These changes may be less pronounced for previously externally hosted on-premise systems, but will certainly be greater for self-hosted systems. SAP aims to simplify administrative tasks through clear role distribution and standardised processes and services across all cloud-based solutions, including BTP. This enables administrators to manage resources effectively and operate the platform smoothly.
What This Tells Us
All of this shows: SAP BTP represents more than just a new technology platform – it is a holistic approach to the digital transformation of companies, placing value on and keeping an eye on various aspects. "Never without BTP".
For companies, the strategic orientation of the platform for SAP means it is high time to engage with SAP BTP – especially given that for many SAP solutions (as of now), the end of mainstream support will expire in 2027, and corresponding SAP successor solutions are mostly only offered based on cloud services and new commercial models from SAP.
Information on SAP end of support for previous SAP products and solutions can be found in the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) or SAP Maintenance Planner. Unfortunately, there is no information regarding possible SAP successor solutions. These must be examined for each solution concerning change and transition efforts.
Examples of some SAP solutions with end of mainstream support in 2027:
| Bisherige SAP Lösung | Mögliche Nachfolgelösung |
|---|---|
| ECC & Business Suite | S/4HANA & S/4HANA Cloud |
| Solution Manager | ALM Cloud & Focus Run |
| PI / PO | Integration Suite (Cloud) |
| APO | IBP (Cloud) |
| CRM 7.0 | Service / Marketing Cloud |
| Identity Management | Identity Service (Cloud) |
| BusinessObjects BI Suite 2024 | SAC (Cloud) |
| ME & MI | Digital Manufacturing Cloud (Cloud) |
| Work Manager | Service & Asset Manager (Cloud) |
One thing is certain: In the future, SAP BTP & Cloud Services will be indispensable for migrating customer requirements and customisations.
Workshop with SRB
SRB offers an SAP BTP Enablement Workshop on the aspects and perspectives outlined here. In this workshop, details of changes compared to the "previous" SAP ERP customer world will be discussed from different viewpoints, and ways will be shown on how to fully leverage the benefits of SAP BTP and advance your personal journey towards digital innovation.
If you are interested in starting your journey to SAP BTP with SRB, please contact me without obligation at r.eberhard@srb.at or +43 664 1564782.
Do you need more information about SAP BTP?
Here is Part 1 of the series on SAP BTP and the Introduction to the Platform.
Here is Part 2 of the series on SAP BTP and the topic of SAP BTP Integration Suite.
