A lot of the time when people talk about technology or software products, the first question that comes up is, “What is your favorite feature or functionality?” SAP HANA is no different. For me, I think my favorite feature of SAP HANA is the fact it is a database that supports both analytical and transactional workloads combined with its multi-model functionality. You get so many possibilities and options in a single technology and product, and when customers see the potential that SAP HANA can offer, it’s a huge moment.
Before SAP HANA was introduced, I worked in different roles mostly focused on technology, software architectures, modern applications, and cloud. Even in the early days, there was this feeling that what would go on to become the SAP HANA team was the place where something was going to fundamentally change for SAP and maybe even for the entire industry. It was a project that was really going to make a difference.
The opportunity to work on something new and different that would make an impact was my key motivation to join the SAP HANA team. Nine years later, in my role as Head of Technology Office for SAP HANA & Analytics, I get to continue that work with a special focus on technology strategy and architecture for our portfolio around database and analytics.
One highlight that sticks out for me came when I saw just how much of an impact SAP HANA can make. At that time, there were several applications that were eager to make the switch to SAP HANA, and we could clearly see what the potential was in terms of improving and optimization.
We had been in discussions with an ISV about a partnership, and I was asked to join a workshop with the company. We explained how SAP applications were transforming on SAP HANA and the impact that had on these products. I still remember the moment when I saw the partner realizing just what they could do with SAP HANA – it went far beyond being just another database.
It was such a satisfying moment because I saw that what we were working on truly mattered and that people realized the potential in SAP HANA. All the work we were putting into this was really paying off.
In the end, this experience was beneficial to both SAP and the partner. For SAP, it was great to have a deeper engagement with the partner. As developers, we also got to see how all the effort we invested into meeting requirements paid off in terms of adoption. For the partner, it was beneficial because, at the time of the workshop, they were about to determine the next step for their product in terms of going to other technologies. So, the workshop also made a positive difference for them and what they sell for their customers.
The next step to unlocking the full potential of our product is really the cloud transformation and cloud evolution with SAP HANA Cloud. When you look at this from a company and commercial perspective, it’s really the same thing: The market is going to the cloud, and our applications are going to the cloud. We have the potential to transform the market and the industry with SAP HANA once again.
