The SAP/Apple partnership changes everything
Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Wed, 08 May 2019 06:11:00 -0700
SAP and Apple are working together to help businesses build applications that use Apple’s machine learning and augmented reality technologies.
Apple CEO Tim Cook joined SAP CEO Bill McDermott at the latter company’s SAPPHIRE conference to announce the news.
“A man who is the last to accept the status quo, and the first to change it,” said McDermott introducing Cook.
Since entering into a business app development partnership with Apple in 2016, SAP itself has become an increasingly Apple-based business with around 100,000 Apple devices in use across the company.
That’s a revealing statistic, given Cook’s admission:
“When Apple was at its lowest in 97/98, we turned to SAP for the infrastructure of Apple and it was a key catalyst enabling us to turn the company around.”
It’s also a statistic that shows how Apple’s focus on delivering best in class consumer experiences has impacted enterprise technology.
SAP’s press release is available here.
It tells us the next version of the SAP Cloud Platform SDK will enable businesses to create smart iOS apps powered by SAP Leonardo. These apps will be supplemented by machine learning from CoreML.
SAP has also rebuilt its most popular mobile apps (SuccessFactors, Concur and Asset Manager) so these now run natively on iOS and now plans to do the same across its product portfolio. The company is also bringing these apps to the Mac.
“Apple is on the rise in the enterprise,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP.
“Our customers love the unmatched security and ease of use iOS is known for, and that it gives them a superior platform to build game-changing business apps.”
SAP’s support is yet another signal that represents the importance of Apple’s technology to the modern enterprise.
Cook put it this way: “Whether you’re looking for productivity, efficiency or experience, machine learning and augmented reality are key to that, the device is key to that and mobility is critical. We all have to deliver the best information at the right time to the right individual in order to help them make the right decision.”
The Apple CEO sees solutions that can achieve this as providing “limitless” potential.
The two CEO’s shared several examples to illustrate SAP’s technologies working with iOS to solve real world challenges.
The partnership comes at a critical juncture in enterprise technology evolution.
Not only do 87 percent of businesses plan to expand their app portfolios across the next 12-months, but 76 percent of business transactions already touch an SAP system – and 98 percent of Fortune 500 firms are already using iOS devices.
Provision of tools and off-the-shelf apps for us in real-world business solutions – boosted by machine learning and AR should encourage more enterprises to focus development on Apple’s technologies. But there’s another reason they will do so:
Every enterprise knows that customer data is precious.
Not only is it precious, but poorly protected customer data can create appalling consequences. That’s why mobile solutions used across enterprise IT must absolutely have privacy and security baked inside of them.
Cook is a staunch advocate of the need for privacy and security.
He absolutely understands the need to extent such commitment to the world of enterprise IT. “We believe it’s one of the top issues of the century,” Cook said.
“If you think about the data on your phone there’s more data on it than there is in your house. This is also true about your business – these are the jewels which must be protected.”
“SAP doesn’t own our data,” said McDermott. “It’s our customer’s data and knowing how you protect that data and the solemn oath of never letting someone’s private information become public information means a lot to us and I want to thank you for your leadership in this regard, I think this is a huge move for the world,” he told Cook.
It’s not just about protecting business secrets and customer information, either – as the world becomes more connected, you’ll need privacy and security on a platform basis in order to protect global infrastructure.
The move to bring this kind of enterprise productivity to the Mac will also generate change, particularly given three out of four enterprise workers will choose a Mac when offered the chance to choose the platform they want to use.
“I think Tim that we’re in the midst of changing the world together,” said McDermott.
Apple and SAP now offer nine ready-to-deploy apps from developers with proven experience building with the SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS.
These include solutions for site safety, proof of delivery, workflow analysis, customer experience management, incident reporting, sales and transportation. Take a look at these here. Apple has also published a range of case studies and other data in support of the new partnership, available here.
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