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Home Office

Working from home is not enough. Home office is a mega trend in the current situation. Everyone should stay within their own four walls to protect themselves and others. But we need to think home office further.
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May 7, 2020
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This text has been automatically translated from German to English.

Almost overnight, the virus has shown us how traditionally and underutilizing the technical possibilities we still work. Mobile knowledge workers take their notebooks and smartphones for granted. Going to the cloud via WLAN is not only simple, it's taken for granted - but the IT community isn't just about cloud computing.

A friend who works in an executive position at a bank described his situation to me in despair: The PC on his desk cannot be transported home. Due to security measures, he cannot access the bank's IT systems from home with his private notebook.

Video conferences with bank customers are not planned. The only option is to go to the office or make small talk with customers via smartphone from home.

We also have similar "complex" situations. Due to compliance and security, certain data should not leave the office. Selected applications require computing power and high data volumes that are not necessarily available on a private PC or notebook to this extent.

What to do? Our tried and tested solution - not just since a few days - is VPN connections (Virtual Private Network) and remote desktop apps. With VPN we get the secure connection to the official workplace and remote desktop leaves the data and programs where they belong - in the protected space of our IT.

Of course, this is not a blueprint for thousands of employees, but it allows our management staffs to maintain a minimum level of responsiveness.

But my plea is to go further, specifically in light of improving environmental conditions: Yes, a significant decrease in particulate matter and CO2 pollution is already being measured.

The restrictions on individual mobility also have a positive effect. It's amazing what's possible in terms of work and communication, even if you're not traveling by car and plane all week. Why, with all the positive experiences of conference calls, webinars and livestreams, our SAP has not yet cancelled Sapphire 2020 in Orlando remains a mystery.

In all likelihood, there will be no Lufthansa flights to Florida in May, and the U.S. government will probably extend entry restrictions. SAP would be well advised to make a timely and comprehensive switch to other communication and education channels.

Indeed, it is undisputed that after the 2027/2030 maintenance extension and the still numerous open technical, strategic and business issues, the SAP community desperately needs a Sapphire 2020!

But home office and livestream are not enough! In B2B, we need new concepts for collaboration, communication and training. In short: less mobility (helps the environment), but more content (promotes productivity).

I was able to experience what is technically possible during a visit to Microsoft headquarters in Munich at the beginning of this year: There is at least one large presentation screen in every meeting room, and you don't connect to it via cable, adapter, etc., but via WLAN.

On the notebook or tablet, you announce which room you are in, and the network streams the shared screen content. Similar configurations are available for conference calls and printing services. So it's not office or home office, but work where content and productivity require it.

In every crisis there is also an opportunity. With innovation, we can make our professional lives more efficient and kinder to the environment. For me, it's content, communication and education that count, not an expensive business-class flight to Orlando or an arduous car trip to the DSAG annual congress in Leipzig.

I'm already looking forward to the new era after the crisis, when the "oversupply" of congresses, trade fairs and presentations gives way to content-oriented action and thinking, when content counts more than air miles.

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Working on the SAP basis is crucial for successful S/4 conversion. 

This gives the Competence Center strategic importance for existing SAP customers. Regardless of the S/4 Hana operating model, topics such as Automation, Monitoring, Security, Application Lifecycle Management and Data Management the basis for S/4 operations.

For the second time, E3 magazine is organizing a summit for the SAP community in Salzburg to provide comprehensive information on all aspects of S/4 Hana groundwork.

Venue

More information will follow shortly.

Event date

Wednesday, May 21, and
Thursday, May 22, 2025

Early Bird Ticket

Available until Friday, January 24, 2025
EUR 390 excl. VAT

Regular ticket

EUR 590 excl. VAT

Venue

Hotel Hilton Heidelberg
Kurfürstenanlage 1
D-69115 Heidelberg

Event date

Wednesday, March 5, and
Thursday, March 6, 2025

Tickets

Regular ticket
EUR 590 excl. VAT
Early Bird Ticket

Available until December 20, 2024

EUR 390 excl. VAT
The event is organized by the E3 magazine of the publishing house B4Bmedia.net AG. The presentations will be accompanied by an exhibition of selected SAP partners. The ticket price includes attendance at all presentations of the Steampunk and BTP Summit 2025, a visit to the exhibition area, participation in the evening event and catering during the official program. The lecture program and the list of exhibitors and sponsors (SAP partners) will be published on this website in due course.