SAP’s Reported AI Expansion Could Give Some ECC Customers a Business AI Bridge

SAP is reportedly preparing to expand access to some AI tools for some customers that have not moved their systems to SAP cloud services, including customers still using SAP ECC, according to Bloomberg. The report said SAP plans to announce the move next week at the SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference in Orlando.

If confirmed, the impact will depend on details SAP has not yet defined: which customers qualify, which tools are included, what architecture is required, and how the offer differs from AI capabilities already available through SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).

As Robert Holland, Vice President and Research Director at SAPinsider, said, SAP has consistently positioned generative AI access inside ERP around RISE with SAP, GROW with SAP, and SAP Cloud ERP contracts. The Bloomberg report, if confirmed next week, would mark a significant shift in SAP’s AI access strategy.

However, Holland cautioned against assumptions, saying, “While I am sure that there is an announcement coming next week at Sapphire, I would be hesitant to make any broad assumptions about how many customers this is likely to impact.”

Why the Details on SAP’s AI Access Matter for ECC Customers

SAP news leaks have sometimes sounded broader than the final announcement.

Holland pointed to SAP ERP, Private Edition, Transition Option, noting that when news of the option emerged in early 2025, market discussion focused on whether SAP was extending the maintenance deadline to 2033. The final offer proved narrower and more expensive. What first appeared to be a broader reprieve for SAP ECC customers became a limited program for specific, complex customer situations.

That precedent makes the wording of the Bloomberg report especially important.

The report does not suggest SAP is opening its full AI portfolio to every on-premise customer. Instead, it refers to AI tools in general for some customers that have not moved to SAP cloud services, including customers still using SAP ECC.

That language leaves room for a selective offer tied to customer status, migration commitments, system architecture, commercial terms, or technical requirements.

The technical distinction is also important. As Holland noted, “You can use SAP BTP with SAP ECC today and access AI in SAP BTP applications through SAP AI Foundation. But that’s not the same as what SAP provides to Cloud ERP customers.”  The key question is whether SAP is offering something materially different from those existing paths.

A selective offer could still carry weight. Many SAP customers remain in partial, hybrid, or pre-transition states. As SAP has not yet changed its position that generative AI capabilities inside ERP are tied to RISE with SAP, GROW with SAP, and SAP Cloud ERP contracts, it suggests SAP may be looking at a narrower path that could expand SAP Business AI usage.

How Business AI Access Could Work as a Transition Mechanism

SAP has strategic reasons to create that kind of bridge. On its Q1 FY2026 earnings call, CEO Christian Klein said large-scale enterprise AI adoption remains early, while arguing that SAP’s advantage lies in process depth, business data, governance, and security.

SAP has also positioned SAP Business AI as part of SAP’s future cloud economics, saying AI will gradually increase the share of cloud revenue tied to consumption even as subscription revenue remains part of the model.

A limited path for SAP ECC or non-cloud customers could support that strategy by bringing more customers into SAP Business AI earlier.

Holland said, “The goal of this reported announcement is likely to be about getting more customers consuming SAP Business AI as soon as possible, a factor that is now accelerating the move to SAP S/4HANA and SAP Cloud ERP.”

That does not necessarily point to a reversal of SAP’s cloud-first strategy. Holland said the reported offer is “also quite likely to be a short-term measure for customers that have already committed to move to SAP S/4HANA.”

If so, the announcement may function as a bridge for customers already moving toward SAP’s target ERP architecture, rather than as a broad opening for all SAP ECC customers. This would mean the reported offer could give select SAP ECC or non-cloud customers a way to begin using SAP Business AI before completing a full ERP transition.

Its significance will depend on which customers qualify, which tools are included, whether SAP Business Technology Platform or a specific technology commitment is required, and how closely the offer resembles the AI capabilities available to SAP Cloud ERP customers.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

• Eligibility will decide the real impact. The report matters because it points to AI access for some SAP ECC and non-cloud customers, not a broad opening for all on-premise environments. SAP’s final terms will determine whether this becomes a meaningful bridge or a narrow exception.
• Existing SAP BTP access complicates the story. SAP ECC customers can already use SAP Business Technology Platform and access AI in SAP BTP applications through AI Foundation. The important question is whether SAP is extending ERP-level AI capabilities, or repackaging access paths customers already have.
• Cloud strategy likely remains intact. Holland’s comments suggest the reported offer may help customers consume SAP Business AI sooner while they move toward SAP S/4HANA. That would make the announcement a transition mechanism, not a reversal of SAP’s cloud-first direction.