SAP BI Innovations – Cloud for Analytics Webcast Summary

This was an SAP EMEA webcast yesterday.  The Cloud for Analytics part was only 30 minutes so my notes are brief

 

The usual legal disclaimer applies:

Figure: 1 Source: SAP

Figure 2: Source: SAP

 

This has been the statement from SAP “Innovate the core, lead in the cloud”

 

This was launched at SAP TechEd in November

 

This was previously known as Project Orca

 

It is brand new, built for cloud, software as a service offering – all analytics for users – not just BI, EPM, planning, in one unified platform

 

Today includes both BI and Planning

 

In the future will expand into predictive and GRC

 

Can build apps on top of it, such as Digital Boardroom, using a touch screen interface

 

Can connect in the cloud and on premise

Figure 3: Source: SAP

 

You don’t need to buy HCP first

 

You can’t run on premise

 

You can only run on HCP

 

Core Capabilities Today

Figure 4: Source: SAP

 

Can query online mode or acquisition – acquire in own engine

 

Acquisition – load into Cloud for Analytics – Google Drive, Salesforce, and HCP

 

Can connect to on premise, HANA< BW, BPC, CSV, Excel

 

On premise – you install Cloud Connector in your firewall

Figure 5

 

It is similar to Lumira, has data manipulation types, prepare for visualization

Figure 6: Source: SAP

 

Easy to create charts, combine in single sources, blend data sources together

Figure 7: Source: SAP

 

No ESRI license required

 

Click on draw, and draw shape you want

 

Not limited to predefined regions

 

Use points of interest features

 

Can analyze routes and networks

Figure 8: Source: SAP

 

Can share with others

 

Feeds into planning capabilities

Figure 9: Source: SAP

 

You can pin your item to the home screen as shown in Figure 9

Figure 10: Source: SAP

 

Figure 10 shows an “Explorer-like” capability, interactively as you go

Figure 11: Source: SAP

 

Figure 11 shows financial planning features, with an Excel style interface, analyze in a pivot table style

 

Figure 12: Source: SAP

 

Collaboration for events, create on a calendar, and other features are shown in Figure 12

 

Digital Boardroom

Drive strategic meetings – any meeting where data is important and needs to be presented

Figure 13: Source: SAP

 

The Digital Boardroom provides supporting information for a meeting, including an Agenda builder, three touch screens

 

Organize into a meeting agenda

 

Built on Cloud for Analytics

Figure 14: Source: SAP

 

Available as an add-on application

 

Future plans

New application, evolving rapidly

 

In the cloud, able to deliver updates and new features faster than on premise

 

SaaS – when new features are developed you don’t worry about upgrading and patches, new features are available

 

Short timeline – in coming weeks and months

 

New release every 2 weeks

Figure 15: Source: SAP

 

Enhanced data connectivity – expect data sources for universes

 

Data transformation, loading larger data sets and improve visualizations

Figure 16: Source: SAP

 

Integrate directly into the application

 

Will release SDK’s and API’s; working on mobility support

Figure 17: Source: SAP

 

Exploratory analytics is planned

 

Look at historical data, what is driving KPI’s to drive your business

 

Still in development, early

 

Subject to change

 

Expect to see in next few months

 

Question & Answer

Q: What does HCP stand for?

A: HANA Cloud Platform

 

Q: Acquire from just NW BPC or MS BPC

A: both are supported

 

Q: Universe connection?

A: Planned for later this quarter

 

Q: geo – just for North America?

A: covers the world

 

Q: Can you do what if planning in Digital Boardroom?

A:  Yes, and plan to release unique visualization for Digital Boardroom

 

Q: connection overlap between Cloud for Analytics and BI portfolio

A: envision Cloud for Analytics to be a complete analytics solution and still maintain on premise solution

Focus on data interoperability – access universes for example

Won’t publish Web Intelligence documents in the cloud

 

ASUG has a webcast next week on Digital Boardroom – you can register here.