The Secure Transformation to SAP HANA

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Is SAP HANA really the new big thing? Developed in 2008 by the Hasso Plattner Institute and Stanford University, SAP HANA was introduced in 2010—in the same year as the iPad. It’s hard to imagine our lives without the latter, but the adoption of SAP HANA technology is advancing much more slowly. SAP has approximately 380,000 customers and as of the end of 2017, only 8,000 were using SAP S/4HANA1, the application that seamlessly builds on the platform and has existed since 2015. Looking ahead, however, exponential growth is inevitably just around the corner.

SAP systems that are not based on SAP HANA technologies will most likely no longer be supported after 2025. With a quick glance at a calendar, it quickly becomes clear that now is time to initiate the complex and long transformation to SAP HANA.

Although the deadline is a clear motivation for the transformation, the focus for organizations should be on the opportunities that SAP HANA offers. When properly planned and implemented, the switch to SAP S/4HANA can be an important milestone toward a digital enterprise.