Back in 2019, Rainer Zinow spoke in detail about the future of SAP Business One in a video at the start of the year. In 2020, he once again provides an in-depth insight into the strategy. It's all about the future of SAP Business One from 2020.
Digitalisation determines the future of SAP Business One
In his "Annual Address", Rainer Zinow emphasises the impact of the digital transformation. This is definitely influencing the transformation of the further development of SAP Business One. The topics of the digitalization are therefore on the agenda:
- Analytics
- Internet of things
- Machine learning
- Artificial Intelligence
Digitalisation and platform strategy
SAP does not want to integrate everything into the core of SAP Business One. The ERP software will be opened up to services accordingly. These services do not have to come from SAP. In this respect, the Service Layer the base of this strategy. The service layer provides web services for other applications and can consume their services.
Accordingly, SAP Business One is increasingly seen as a digital platform. A foundation on which SAP partners and customers can build the necessary extensions.
Commitment to diversity
SAP makes a very clear statement regarding the possible operating models of SAP B1. On-premises or cloud - the customer has a free choice.
SAP also gives you the choice of database. SAP HANA is clearly preferred in line with the corporate strategy. However, anyone who wants to can always use Microsoft MS SQL Server.
Impressive growth figures demonstrate that SAP is on the right track with this orientation. 1000 new companies join the SAP B1 community every quarter.
Nevertheless, the global figures make you look:
- More than 70,000 customers
- 50 localisations
- 28 languages
- 300 software development partners
- 500 solutions based on SAP B1
- 850 SAP B1 Integration Partner
- Installed in 170 countries
- 5600 Group subsidiaries use SAP B1
It comes as no surprise that SAP Business One is at the heart of SAP's midmarket strategy. In this respect, SAP is continuing to invest heavily in the future of SAP Business One.
THE further development of SAP Business One: The Web Client
The new web client is certainly an important leap into the future of SAP Business One. It not only facilitates access to SAP B1 via a browser. The new interface also brings together the various SAP ERP solutions. Because regardless of whether SAP S/4HANA or ByDesign, SAP Business One will use the same interface schema in future.
SAP Cloud Platform
The future of SAP Business One not only lies in the cloud, it also lies with those who use it. It provides services for the development and integration of services. Incidentally, developers can work with Java Script. This opens the door for a large number of developers. What's more, the data hub can be operated on all major hyperscalers: Amazon (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, etc.
Another approach made possible by the SAP Cloud Platform is the shared data model. This should make it possible in future to develop extensions that can be used for both SAP B1 and other SAP ERP applications.
The future of SAP Business One: a promise
When you consider how SAP Business One began almost 17 years ago. When you also consider what a mature, flexible and widely used solution it has become, Rainer Zinow's final sentence is not surprising: (freely translated)
"...we look forward to the next 10 or 20 years, as long as you want this solution, we will be there for you..."
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