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susangaler
Advisor
Advisor
Bernd Leukert, Member of the Executive Board of SAP Products & Innovation, had one main message for developers at SAP TechEd in Barcelona being held November 8-9: you have the power to break free from the chains of legacy software using the SAP HANA 2 platform, the next generation of the company’s platform for customer innovation.

In a keynote jam-packed with IoT and machine learning demos, Leukert took his rapt audience of SAP developers, coders and architects on a wondrous journey from the outer reaches of space exploration to connected coffee machines on the ground.
“This is the fourth industrial revolution, opening new dimensions and more opportunities, “he said. “Technology in the digital world is the golden nugget where things become smart and connected, talk to each other and in the future, act autonomously. Software is the enabler for the future success of companies, and you – the software engineers, developers and coders – become the liberators, freeing companies from the chains of legacy, guiding them to new heights in the digital economy. It’s our task to change the company, to change the industry, and to change the world.”

The morning’s series of exciting conversations with customers and partners was capped by mind-blowing solution demos, Leukert explained exactly how SAP is supporting developers to free their data, users and business to focus on innovation that puts people, operations and processes in real time for speed, clarity and control in meeting customer demands.



In the above VIDEO from SAP TechEd Barcelona, Thomas Kaiser, Senior Vice President of IoT at SAP, talked with me about how the smartest companies are using digital twin technology to shake up the status quo.


SAP HANA 2 empowers every tech nerd


With big data exploding exponentially each year, processing data is not enough. Companies need to access vast amounts of data and transform it into meaningful information that creates value for the business, customers and society at-large in real-time. That’s where SAP HANA 2 comes in.
“The first version of SAP HANA is the synonym for real time processing of data. It’s already the backbone of thousands of major companies,” said Leukert. “I’m proud to officially announce today SAP HANA 2, which will be released at end of November. This next generation of SAP HANA is the digital foundation to transform any business, helping IT shift focus to innovation, continuing to evolve data management and application development.”

SAP HANA 2 allows companies to access data from anywhere, delivering deeper insights to the business with embedded analytics, and enhanced analytical processing engines for text, spatial, graph and streaming data. All of these capabilities empower data scientists to discover new patterns and incorporate machine learning into custom applications. Leukert added that the Express Edition makes SAP HANA easier to access for developers, universities, and “every technology nerd in the world.”

Microservices bring multi-billion dollar risk management down to earth

Wildfires may be among the most unpredictable events, but the new SAP Hybris as a Service platform for microservices, helps insurers use satellite data to get more control. Developers can create cloud-based microservices that infuse applications with analytical insight using simple APIs and any language or development platform. Sitting on stage with co-innovation partners, Leukert demoed Earth Observation Analysis, which uses satellite data about vegetation, water, soil and more for real-time decision-making.
“We need to take control of data steams that we’ve never seen before, changing the whole architecture of space operations,” said Nicolaus Hanowski, Head of Ground Segment & Mission Operations at the European Space Agency (ESA). “We have all the tools and processes to generate the benefits of data, transferring the intelligence we’ve built in space systems to provide intelligence on the ground.”

Andreas Siebert, Head of Geospatial Solutions for Corporate Underwriting at Munich RE, discussed how geospatial processing in the cloud from SAP helps his insurance company manage risk from earthquakes, storms, floods, wildfires and other natural disasters. Analyzing data sets from actual physical sources on the ground, Munich RE can instantly calculate risk by location and even type of business, and improve fraud protection.

Beautiful, advanced user experiences

Noting that SAP’s digital core, SAP S/4HANA, has had the fastest adoption curve in the history of SAP, Leukert said SAP is incorporating intelligence into all of its applications for redesigned business processes, and continues to innovate on SAP Fiori 2.0. He spotlighted a demo of SAP Co-Pilot, an intelligent agent that incorporates voice commands to provide end-to-end access to information and tasks, speeding up worker productivity across departments and roles.
“SAP Fiori 2.0 allows for proactive decision support with integrated simulation and prediction between the system and human beings,” said Leukert. “This redefines collaboration between humans and machines.”

SAP connects everything – physical, virtual

Leukert outlined how the SAP Application Intelligence Partner program makes it easy for developers to incorporate advances like machine learning and IoT into applications. He said that SAP IoT Applications Services will support an outcome-based economy where people want a real-time economy. His final demo illustrated digital twin technology in action, where connected physical and virtual coffee machines deliver real-time and historical data companies use to improve products and services.

Leukert closed with an acknowledgement of SAP TechEd’s 20-year anniversary and, appropriately, a lively rendition of Queen’s “We are the Champions” performed by the SAP HCP Jam Band

Insights to action at the touch everyone’s fingertips

As consumers expect more convenience, control and instant satisfaction, business needs more power to keep up with their demands. With these innovations at SAP TechEd, the company is once again spearheading a tectonic shift in improving both business and people’s lives.

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