MWC 2017: SAP Builds-Out Cloud Platform To Embrace Bimodal IT

SAP has expanded its Cloud Platform with a suite of services, ranging from an iOS app to and Internet of Things (IoT) service.

Formally known as the HANA Cloud Platform, SAP database platform-as-a-service has been re-branded and built out to not only carry out big data projects, but also support business applications, power the data side of IoT deployments, and even enable machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) base applications.

SAP Cloud Platform

Starting with the software development kit for iOS, SAP plans to release on March 30 a kit for developer to create business tools for iOS that use Apple’s Swift language but tie into the SAP’s Cloud Platform.

The SAP Project companion app has is also scheduled to be added March 30 to provide native app integration of the Cloud Platform and SAP’s S/4 HANA Professional Services Cloud on iOS.

The SAP API (application programming interface) Business Hub offers a catalogue of APIs to enable developers to better build and test apps on the Cloud Platform.

SAP Cloud Platform Workflow service offers the ability to refine business functions through  rapid connection into a graphical interface for business analysts, according to SAP, so they can quickly create new corporate workflows and business processes.

The Virtua Machine service is fairly self-explanatory and provides  means by which customers of SAP HANA can run their on-premise workloads on the Cloud Platform within the regions they operate; SAP will look to cover Europe, Middle East, and Africa and the US by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

The IoT service is in beta form on the Cloud Platform and offers users support for more than 40 device protocols to help them integrate IoT systems into the Cloud Platform’s streaming analytics capabilities to enable the faster processing of streaming data.

Finally, SAP will be providing dedicated data centres for the Japan and China regions to support cloud deployments in their local languages.

Embracing bimodal IT

Not breaking any moulds in the IT world , SAP’s Bernd Leukert, member of the Executive Board of the company’s Products & Innovation division said at a briefing attended by Silicon at MWC 2017, that the firm’s new Cloud Platform embraces the concept of bimodal IT where by companies aim to keep their core IT infrastructure intact albeit with migration to the cloud, while evolving their processes with mort innovative technology.

“Companies are looking for a platform where they can digitalise their existing IP (intellectual property) and leverage all the capabilities that they have invested in the past already,” he said.

“So you will need a platform-as-a-service that is enterprise ready which allows you to consume the microservices, APIs (application programming interfaces), technologies services, whether this is  integration, whether this is  inclusive experience, whether this is  in future machine learning, whether this is  connectivity to things therefore IoT services, whether this is  in connectivity to people….and the list goes on and on.”

Leukert explained to enable a successful embrace of bimodal IT there needs to be a single source of data, where the SAP Cloud Platform, which integrates the company’s core HANA Cloud Platform, business software suite, and big data tool under one modular system, come in.

“The big asset is the data itself and it has to be a single source of truth, and you don’t want to replicate the data over and over again in your company because data get outdated but you want to have access to the single source of truth [of data],” he said.

SAP already has partners such as Bosch working with its cloud software so it already has a solid base on which to bring its re-jigged cloud software suite to the market.