Modernizing SAP BW: The Path to Business Data Cloud

SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse (BW) 7.5 is just two years away from the end of mainstream maintenance. This leaves users facing a critical decision. Do they double down on their existing systems? Or do they move to a cloud-ready future? For SAP BW 7.5 customers there has not been a clear path to the cloud, something that SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) now offers. This can help SAPinsiders leverage their existing investments while unlocking powerful new capabilities like machine learning, AI, and seamless data integration.

During a session at Sapphire 2025, Dominik Kurz, Senior Director Product Management for SAP BW/4HANA & SAP BW Bridge, talked about the reality of the situation. “There are thousands of customers—between 20 and 30,000—currently running SAP BW 7.5”, stated Kurz. “Some have already moved, but there are still thousands running on a version that will end mainstream maintenance in 2027.”

As was initially stated during the SAP BDC launch, it is now possible for organizations to lift and shift their SAP BW environments into SAP BW Cloud Private Edition, a central component of SAP BDC. This will not only preserve valuable data models and logic, it also sets the stage for future innovation. “We can simply lift your existing SAP BW on-premise instance into SAP BW/4HANA, private cloud edition, and that it is integrated into SAP BDC overall,” reinforced Kurz.

Four Reasons to Move

The first reason to move is that SAP BW 7.5 will end mainstream maintenance in 2027, like many other SAP NetWeaver-based systems. Moving to SAP BW/4HANA, private cloud edition, adds an addition three years of mainstream maintenance. This gives organizations until 2030 to decide on their eventual transition plans. While this is not new news, this will provide additional flexibility for organizations that do not want to embark on another major transformation project prior to the end of 2027.

A second reason is that of making data AI-ready. Once SAP BW data is in SAP BDC, it’s ready to power the kinds of use cases that are shaping the next generation of business: AI, ML, predictive analytics, and real-time insights. Thanks to built-in integration with SAP Datasphere and partners like SAP Databricks, it is possible to start innovating without needing to rip and replace your current setup. As Kurz emphasizes, “You can easily combine SAP BW data and SAP Datasphere and build a foundation for AI and machine learning use cases as well as having data sharing options for SAP Databricks.”

Many SAP BW systems contain years, or even decades, of rich business logic, KPIs, and carefully curated data sets. This is something organizations do not want to abandon. Using SAP BDC’s product generator it is possible to migrate data and the underlying semantics with zero-copy efficiency and keep a data “gold mine” intact. This third reason is all about leveraging the “gold mine” of SAP BW data in SAP BDC.

Lastly, one of the biggest operational benefits is flexibility. By moving to SAP BW/4HANA, private cloud edition, it is possible to scale storage up and down based on real usage. This means that organizations that, for example, may no longer need a SAP BW/4HANA, private cloud edition system with 8TB of memory any longer, it is possible to scale down to 2TB. This fourth reason involving flexibility can offer both cost and sustainability savings.

A Strategic Leap Forward

SAP breaks the transition into three simple phases. First, lifting an existing BW system into SAP BW/4HANA, private cloud edition. Second, shifting metadata into SAP BDC using the Data Product Generator. Third, innovating with modern tools and AI-driven applications while gradually retiring the legacy SAP BW environment.

This process is not just a technical migration. It is a strategic pivot. SAP BDC allows organizations to reevaluate what is possible with their data, enabling a more agile, scalable, and innovation-ready future. To make this transition easier, SAP is offering a no-cost SAP BW assessment to help organizations detail how their individual journey will look. For those that are wondering how to proceed with their legacy SAP BW 7.5 systems, SAP BDC offers a path to carrying a comprehensive legacy into a next-generation data platform in the cloud.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

• SAP BW 7.5 customers should leverage the assessment that SAP is offering. Like customers on SAP ECC, the most important step for any customer still running SAP BW 7.5 is to be as informed as possible about both their existing system and the potential options. Only by having this information will it be possible to make the best decisions about whether to use SAP BDC or take an entirely different approach. With SAP offering an assessment, this is an opportunity to build that information. Although SAP have called it “free”, there may be non-financial costs associated with the assessment such as increased pressure from account executives to move to something like SAP BDC. However, if there is no financial cost, the information gained will likely offset anything non-financial.
• Learn as much as possible about SAP BDC and what it offers. While many of the features announced for SAP BDC are not yet fully available for a few weeks or months, for example the SAP Databricks offering, SAP teams are now able to demonstrate much of what the product can do. This makes it possible for SAPinsiders to learn more about the offering as well as be walked through how features like adding and creating data products will work and the role that SAP Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud play in the product. Just as customers should leverage a SAP BW assessment to gain information to make an informed decision, they should learn as much as possible about SAP BDC to understand options for that offering.
• Continue to monitor SAP’s announcements about SAP BW and SAP BDC. Although one day of Sapphire is now complete, interested participants will have the ability to consume some of the content from the event online as a virtual attendee. This will provide insight into topics like SAP BW, SAP BDC, and other data and AI-related announcements. In addition, upcoming SAPinsider events in EMEA, the US, and APJ will also offer opportunities to hear more about SAP BDC. SAPinsiders should leverage these learning opportunities to hear from both SAP speakers and other customers about their experiences with these offerings.