SAP puts meat on bones of big company on demand strategy

SAP executive vice president John Wookey says the plan is "function-specific software applications, available by subscription, which plug directly into a customer's on-site SAP Business Suite software". Wookey says SAP's large enterprise on-demand offering will help customers "innovate faster and extend the value of their current investments in SAP Business Suite". He gives the example of integrating data and processes – which helps ensure consistency with system and business configurations between SAP Business Suite software and on-demand solutions from SAP. "As a result, customers avoid data sharing and integration issues that occur when dealing with disparate best-of-breed SaaS [software-as-a-service] applications or on-site software applications," he says. Wookey also insists that SAP sees on-demand as the next big evolution for IT, and confirms the company's commitment to this technology, suggesting that it allows faster turn-around of customer requirements and closer collaboration between customers and vendors. SAP currently offers SAP CRM on-demand, SAP E-sourcing on-demand, and cap and trade software through its Clear Standards acquisition.