Computerworld SAP News

Microsoft Dynamics ERP software now available on the Azure cloud

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:13:00 GMT

Microsoft is upping the stakes in the growing market for cloud-based ERP, with its Dynamics GP 2013 and NAV 2013 products now available for deployment on its Azure service.

Open Data Center Alliance tackles big data analysis

(James Niccolai) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:16:00 GMT

The Open Data Center Alliance, a customer group that shares tips about cloud deployments and tries to nudge vendors into supplying the products they want, has added big data to the list of IT topics it covers.

SAP wins key ruling in long-running patent battle with Versata

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:58:00 GMT

SAP has received a ruling that sets a legal landmark in patent law and could also prove favorable to its defense in a long-running intellectual property dispute with Versata.

SAP at work on Sentinel, an 'Amazon for Stocks'

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:19:00 GMT

SAP is at work on a new product called Sentinel that is supposed to be "nothing less than the Amazon for Stocks and the Facebook for Investors," according to a job posting associated with the project.

BI software market growth rate slowed in 2012

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:31:00 GMT

The business intelligence software market cooled off a bit in 2012 after "a few historic banner years" of spending growth, due to difficult economic conditions and confusion over industry buzzwords such as "big data," according to analyst firm Gartner.

SAP buys e-commerce vendor Hybris in strike back at Oracle, Salesforce.com

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:00:00 GMT

SAP is buying privately held Hybris in a bid to build out an e-commerce software offering that connects with customers across multiple "channels, devices and touch points."

Oracle, managed services provider to settle suit over third-party support

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:45:00 GMT

Oracle and managed services provider ServiceKey have come to a proposed settlement of an intellectual-property lawsuit Oracle filed against the company last year.

SAP shakes up development organization

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:21:00 GMT

SAP abruptly reorganized its development strategy, with SuccessFactors CEO and cloud strategy chief Lars Dalgaard leaving the company and executive board member Vishal Sikka tapped to lead a single software development unit.

CIOs need to rethink their roles

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:16:00 GMT

By now, it's become a tired old tech industry bromide: CIOs need to be business-savvy.

The whole enchilada: Integrated compute platforms steamroll across IT

(Steve Duplessie) — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:33:00 GMT

Vendors are rebuilding the mainframe with converged infrastructure, collapsed kit or integrated compute platforms -- whatever you want to call it. And customers are loving it.

SAP to crunch and sell carriers' data on mobile use

(Stephen Lawson) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:09:00 GMT

Mobile operators collect huge amounts of data about how their subscribers use mobile data, and that information is starting to go on sale as targeted intelligence that enterprises can use to better reach consumers.

SAP builds out HANA platform and ecosystem

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:35:00 GMT

Anyone remotely within the orbit of SAP lately knows that its number-one focus is the HANA in-memory database and development platform. At this week's Sapphire conference in Orlando, the vendor sought to show the progress it is making in both building out HANA's capabilities as well as attracting developers and partners to HANA.

SAP updates line-of-business cloud apps

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:26:00 GMT

Selling SaaS (software as a service) applications aimed at specific lines of business is one way that SAP has tried to stake a claim in the world of cloud computing and during the Sapphire conference it unveiled a broad series of updates to the portfolio.

SAP unveils 'consumer-friendly' Fiori app suite

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:28:00 GMT

SAP's software is known for its role running many of the world's largest companies, but not necessarily for its user-friendliness. As part of an ongoing effort to change this perception, SAP unveiled Fiori, a set of 25 lightweight "consumer-friendly" applications that can run on desktops, tablets and mobile devices, on Wednesday at the Sapphire conference in Orlando.

Mobile management morphs

rmitchell@computerworld.com (Robert L. Mitchell) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige.

SAP hopes its software scores with sports teams

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:46:00 GMT

SAP is hoping to win points with professional sports teams by showing how its HANA in-memory database, analytics, mobile software and other technologies can help them make fans happier, find better players and improve their operations.

SAP offers mobile device management for $1.30 a month on Amazon's cloud

(Mikael Ricknäs) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:21:00 GMT

A new cloud version of SAP's Afaria mobile device management software offers IT departments a more convenient way of controlling mobile devices.

SAP says HANA will power all cloud applications

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:19:00 GMT

SAP's HANA Cloud Platform, consisting of the core in-memory database plus application development tools, analytics and integration services, will eventually underpin all of its cloud-based applications, the company said at its Sapphire conference.

SAP expands reach of app store, looks to improve reviews

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:01:00 GMT

You know you're not in iTunes anymore when the app you're eyeing has a US$1,050 price tag, but SAP is nonetheless expanding its online shopping experience in a bid to entice its customers to purchase enterprise software the way they shop on their smartphones.

What to expect at SAP's Sapphire

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:32:00 GMT

SAP's Sapphire conference kicks off next week in Orlando, setting the stage for the company to sell customers on its visions for cloud-based applications, in-memory computing and mobility.

SAP unveils HANA Enterprise Cloud service

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:15:00 GMT

SAP is set to offer customers the option of running their applications on top of a cloud-based version of its HANA in-memory database technology.

SAP loses bid to overturn $345M patent judgment

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:32:00 GMT

An appeals court has rejected SAP's attempt to overturn a $345 million judgment awarded to Versata Software, which had brought a patent-infringement case against the software maker.

SAP launches ride-sharing app TwoGo

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:43:00 GMT

SAP has expanded its foray into corporate sustainability with the release of a carpooling application called TwoGo.

SAP and Oracle winners as software growth slows, IDC says

(Mikael Ricknäs) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:03:00 GMT

A growing interest in big data, analytics and cloud computing helped propel a weak software enterprise market last year, according to research from IDC. SAP and Oracle fared the best among the large software vendors.

Infor launches version 10x, plans IBM SmartCloud launch for its apps

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:49:00 GMT

Infor is hoping a new social collaboration tool, updated middleware and user interfaces, as well as options for cloud-based deployments, will help cement its place as one of the industry's largest ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendors after SAP and Oracle.

Wall Street Beat: Tech bellwethers report mixed quarter

(Marc Ferranti) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:35:00 GMT

Some of the biggest names in IT including IBM, Microsoft, Google and Intel reported quarterly earnings this week, revealing a picture of the tech sector that, while not as gloomy as had been feared, is nevertheless mixed.

SAP's first quarter: The key questions

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:57:00 GMT

SAP will announce its first-quarter 2013 earnings on Friday, a report that will get heavy scrutiny from company watchers. Here's a look at some of the more important topics that should come up during SAP executives' conference calls with press and analysts on Friday.

SAP's effort to get startups to support HANA chugs along

(Chris Kanaracus) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:44:00 GMT

SAP has spent the past year wooing entrepreneurs around the world in hopes they'll be entranced enough by its much-hyped HANA in-memory database to build products and even entire companies around the technology. On Friday, SAP brought the road show to Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a vibrant community of tech entrepreneurs.

Tech overhaul for Portland police, fire, 3 years behind schedule, $10M over-budget

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:31:00 GMT

A sweeping overhaul of systems used by Portland, Ore.'s fire and police departments is three years behind schedule and about $10 million over budget, in part because city officials failed to "effectively use lessons learned" from past technology projects, including a troubled SAP software implementation, according to a new audit report.

SAP sues to protect customers from patent suits

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:51:00 GMT

SAP has filed a court action against patent holder Pi-Net International, which it says has filed patent infringement lawsuits against a number of SAP customers.

Epicor suit claims services firm hijacked its ERP software

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:14:00 GMT

Epicor is suing IT service provider Alternative Technology Solutions, claiming the company illegally used its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software in order to develop and sell add-ons and services, in a case that has parallels to tussles over third-party software maintenance.

Enterprise apps get social

(Bob Violino) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Combining the ad-hoc nature of social media with the more structured world of enterprise apps such as CRM is often the best of both worlds, implementers say.

Jack Gold: Has BYOD peaked?

(Jack Gold) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:33:00 GMT

Expect enterprises to start instituting stricter policies to make BYOD a more secure and cost-effective policy.

Microsoft targets enterprise with Dynamics AX ERP

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:42:00 GMT

Microsoft hoped recent updates to its Dynamics AX 2012 ERP software would help it grab enterprise-level deals that would ordinarily be won by the likes of Oracle and SAP. To some degree, the strategy appears to be clicking.

Z10 sales start Friday in U.S., but Blackberry's future still far from certain

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

BlackBerry Z10 sales kick off this Friday in the U.S., but it is still unclear how popular the smartphone and its Q10 cousin running BlackBerry 10 will be, amid a number of contradictory predictions and indicators.

Cloud services can save you money -- if you're careful

(Nancy Gohring) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Calculating the real ROI of cloud apps requires the analysis of a lot of factors, and cutting corners on that process means you might not save money.

Infor says push into middleware is clicking

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:49:00 GMT

Infor, the software industry's third-largest ERP vendor after SAP and Oracle, has been building out its own underlying technology platform in a bid to gain more revenue as well as provide customers with easier integration and system management. The company maintains that strategy is clicking as its ION middleware has become the fastest-growing product in the vendor's history.

Finishing massive California SAP project may not be 'feasible,' study says

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:50:00 GMT

It may not be 'feasible' to complete a gigantic SAP software project meant to unify California's many public employee payroll systems, according to a report issued this week by the office of the state Legislative Analyst.

SAP to buy Camilion for insurance software

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:44:00 GMT

SAP is expanding its array of software products for the insurance industry with the acquisition of Camilion. Terms were not disclosed.

Academy Cube online learning platform aims to tackle IT skills shortage

(Peter Sayer) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:47:00 GMT

Software vendors, academic institutions and government agencies united on Tuesday to tackle European youth unemployment and the IT skills shortage with a new online education platform.

SAP pins future hopes on growth of Ariba business network

(Peter Sayer) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:56:00 GMT

After 12 successive quarters of double-digit growth at SAP, co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe is now pinning his future hopes on the company's recently acquired Ariba e-commerce network.

Internal document suggests SAP's goal of simplifying licensing will be a tall order

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:55:00 GMT

SAP customers have made it no secret they believe the vendor's software licensing and pricing is too complex, and a top company leader recently made a public pledge that things are changing for the better. But a recently created internal SAP document obtained by IDG News Service suggests that the company has its work cut out for it.

SAP and Ericsson join forces on M2M services

(Mikael RicknA$?s) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:21:00 GMT

Ericsson and SAP will jointly market and sell cloud-based, machine-to-machine (M2M) products and services to enterprises via operators around the globe.

SAP adds to supply-chain tech with SmartOps acquisition

(Chris Kanaracus) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:21:00 GMT

SAP has acquired SmartOps in a move the company says will allow it to develop real-time supply chain applications that take advantage of SAP's HANA in-memory database.

BYOD gets attention at Mobile World Congress

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:46:00 GMT

Helping IT shops deal with the security and management of consumer smartphones and tablets in the workplace will be a big theme at Mobile World Congress this week.

SAP looks to score points for its HANA database with NBA statisics site

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:57:00 GMT

SAP is hoping to nail a slam dunk for its HANA in-memory platform through a partnership with the National Basketball Association on a new HANA-powered statistics website.

California ends contract with SAP over troubled IT project

(Chris Kanaracus) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:52:00 GMT

California has terminated its contract with SAP in connection with a $371 million software system that was supposed to overhaul the state's payroll system but instead ended up mired in major delays and cost overruns.

Ex-partner charges Oracle with waging 'systematic attack' against third-party support

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:18:00 GMT

Former Oracle partner CedarCrestone is alleging the vendor has engaged in an "unlawful and systematic attack" against the third-party support market and has a monopoly on support revenue.

SAP user groups unhappy with upcoming support fee increase

(Chris Kanaracus) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:12:00 GMT

SAP user groups aren't pleased with the vendor's announcement this week that new customers will soon pay more for Standard Support, but at least so far, there doesn't seem to be a backlash as strong as the one that occurred a few years ago over SAP's higher-priced Enterprise Support service.

SAP payroll software woes plague electric utility for months

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:14:00 GMT

Electric utility National Grid is still trying to resolve problems with its recently implemented SAP payroll system that cropped up after Hurricane Sandy, the major storm that caused widespread damage on the U.S. East Coast and the Caribeean in late October.