SAP users accept cloud but want clarity on offerings

That's the headline finding of research released today (19 October 2011) by the UK & Ireland SAP User Group, which sounded out 100 SAP user organisations. Other key results include that more than a quarter (27%) don't know what SAP's cloud offerings are or the benefits they might bring. Also, over half (59%) don't understand how to upgrade or implement SAP On-Demand modules with their current implementations. Moreover, overall, despite 64% of respondents saying there is too much hype around cloud computing, a little over half (56%) are still planning to implement SaaS (software as a service) strategies within the next 12 to 18 months. "It is interesting to note that the majority of SAP users do see themselves utilising cloud services in some form in the future," comments Craig Dale, chief executive of the UK and Ireland SAP User Group. "SAP has always been a proponent of organisations adopting a hybrid approach when it comes to their SAP deployments, and I believe that is the correct approach," he adds. However, Dale also concludes that the research indicates that SAP still has a lot of work to do in communicating its cloud roadmap, if organisations are to realise the benefits of a hybrid approach. "Through working closely with SAP, we will look to address this in the coming months," he says. Meanwhile, the UK & Ireland SAP User Group survey also reveals that 27% of respondents are already using SaaS to deliver business-critical applications – an increase from only 17% last year – although 78% still have fears around data protection. "It is clear that cloud computing is starting to move away from the hype and become more of a serious business consideration for a number of organisations," observes Dale. "Yet, as with any new technology delivery model, organisations must do their due diligence to ensure that cloud computing is suitable for them." Dale suggests that, if manufacturers are looking at a hybrid approach, they should also consider which services they want to keep on-premise and which they are happy to move to the cloud. "Through events such as our annual user group conference and special interest groups (SIGs), organisations can get access to the information they need," he advises. The next UK and Ireland SAP User Group Conference is taking place in Birmingham from 20—22 November 2011. For more information, please go to http://www.sapusers.org/conference 2011