SAP CodeJam comes to Kingston, Jamaica

[Former Member]

For the first time ever, SAP CodeJam will be in Kingston Jamaica on August 13th 10AM - 4PM. The event will be hosted by lsubatin at the University of Technology Jamaica (UTech), Department of Computing. As usual, the event is free with limited spaces, and at the time of writing this post, there were less than 10 spots available. I believe this is also the first time a code jam is being hosted anywhere in the Caribbean region.



Background

The Caribbean has had a long history with SAP and there are customers who have mentioned the lack of SAP's visibility on the ground. Some persons have asked for more information and exposure to new offerings and tools available for them to make the most of their investment. In 2015, I worked with SAP to host the first ever SITCarib in Kingston and the response was overwhelming, however attendees also asked for more support tailored to the Caribbean and more competitive offerings and pricing.

There was a second hosting of a virtual #SITCarib in 2017, but based on feedback I decided to put a pause on the Inside Tracks and take a pulse on the market. This was needed because some customers had already started downsizing or completely removing their investment in SAP tools and this had an impact on local events. I think a fresh approach is needed in the Caribbean to show existing and potential customers the innovation currently taking place and the opportunities available to them.

It is with this mindset, that I approached our local University to come onboard and partner to host the event so that Professors, students and the wider community can benefit and get exposure to SAP Hana and the integration of different technologies to build solutions that are robust and scalable. If we get buy-in from the University community, this will be an important step in SAP's reputation in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, as not "an expensive legacy ERP" (actual customer feedback), but a company focused on helping businesses to run better.

There is quite a bit of effort that goes into planning events like this and I am grateful for the persons who have helped along the way to make it possible. This started as a conversation at TechEd Barcelona 2017 with meredith.hassett and margot.wollny who were helpful in guiding me in the right direction and connecting me with the right people. I would also like to say special thanks to krishna.dalal for working with me since last year to make this event possible.

For anyone in Kingston reading this post and would like to attend, there are a few spaces left and you can register using the link here.

 

One Love,

Raquel