SAP Expands Partner Content Opportunities Around Its Cloud Data Warehouse

Software giant begins offering partner applications, connectors and other content for the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud platform through the SAP App Center

SAP is providing more opportunities for partners who develop software for the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud to sell packaged applications and business content through the SAP App Center digital marketplace.

SAP unveiled Tuesday the first batch of 10 content packages from partners that are now available on the SAP App Center. The packages include applications and business scenarios that SAP customers use to develop insights from data stored in the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, as well as data connectors, data models and visualizations.

The move is the latest step by the Waldorf, Germany-based software company to expand partner opportunities around SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, which was unveiled at the company’s Sapphire Now conference in May 2019 and went live in November.

Data Warehouse Cloud, built on the SAP HANA platform, is used by business and organizations for data modeling, business analytics and data visualization applications.

[Related: SAP Aims For Higher Quality Customer Implementations Through Partners]

Partners already have the opportunity to build OEM solutions and reseller businesses around Data Warehouse Cloud, providing implementation and consulting services around the data warehouse system and using it as a platform for joint technology, Data-as-a-Service and connectivity businesses.

But partners have also been developing connectors, workflows and applications that work with the cloud data warehouse, often targeted toward specific line-of-business and vertical industry use-cases. And SAP has been getting requests from partners for ways to offer that packaged content to a wider audience.

“Our partners are key in this strategy as they know these [vertical industries]. Our partners are able to see the kind of content our customers want,” said Philip On, product marketing vice president, SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, in an interview with CRN.

“Equipping the partner ecosystem with the opportunity to package that content up was the natural next step,” On said. “This really showcases some cool partner apps for SAP Data Warehouse Cloud.”

In addition to the opportunity to monetize developed software, offering the packaged content on the SAP App Center can be “a kickstarter” for customer deals and projects, said Oliver Huth, head of the partner ecosystem for SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, in the interview with CRN.

Huth said providing packaged content through the App Center also helps partners reach more small and mid-size customers.

Among the partner offerings through the App Center for Data Warehouse Cloud is The CubeServ Procurement Cockpit from CubeServ for analyzing purchasing data; HR Cockpit, an attendance analysis application from Key Performance Consulting; and Inspired Intellect’s Optimizing Order Fulfillment with Machine Learning to help prevent shipment delays.

Also being offered is Lyra ICP, an integrated labor capacity and skills gap planning solution developed by Rizing; a financial planning solution from S-peers; and EWM (Enterprise Warehouse Management) Insights on Data Warehouse Cloud from Westermacher Consulting for reducing product distribution costs.

SAP, meanwhile, recently unveiled its own pre-built content for the retail industry for the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud.

SAP is using what On described as this “first wave” of partner offerings through the SAP App Center as a trial run for the company, with more partner content in the pipeline. “We have 100 partners that have already started developing solutions to run on [Data Warehouse Cloud],” the SAP executive said. “And there are many more to come.”

The SAP Data Warehouse Cloud is part of the company’s Business Technology Platform, a portfolio of integrated products that has been evolving into a critical hub for SAP applications and the data they generate. SAP has been steadily building out the Business Technology Platform’s capabilities, including a wave of new functionality and system enhancements announced in June.