Global Enterprise Software Giant SAP Launches Blockchain Service
In an announcement at it’s annual Sapphire event in Orlando U.S., global software giant SAP launches blockchain as a Service (BaaS) that will sit within their SAP Cloud. It will support both Hyperledger Fabric and MultiChain.
The platform will utilise the SAP HANA Data Management Suite and is part of the new SAP Leonardo product line, that already integrates emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) into “one ecosystem”.
With a variety of partnerships, SAP are making “ready-to-use blockchain technology” that will enable corporations to build applications and networks, using the distributed ledger technology (DLT) of their choice.
SAP’s senior vice president for product and innovation, Gil Perez explained that they will remain flexible in their underlying DLT, therefore minimising the impact on customers, as the market evolves and decides which way to go.
By placing the blockchain service on SAP’s Cloud, any client will be able to access it remotely from anywhere, which alleviates the expense of ‘on premises’ technology or software, instead a fee is paid to access the cloud-based service.
The launch is announced just one day after the company outlined their plan to take on Salesforce in the CRM market. SAP’s principal of Constellation Research, Ray Wang said:
“SAP is saying that it is not ready to cede the market to Salesforce,” he added “there are Hybris commerce customers that may look to SAP for marketing.”
Through correctly aligning the inter-connectivity of emerging technologies, SAP’s CEO, Bill McDermott said that the company:
“was the last to accept the status quo of CRM and is now first to change it. That’s a guarantee.”
SAP launches blockchain as a service, alongside other existing companies that are also doing so, such as technology giants Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and IBM.
