SAP-Solution: open source

In times of global trade conflicts and protectionist measures, open source—as software and as a principle—is becoming central for companies and regions. It has a lasting impact on workflows, processes, and communication.

SAP relies on open source infrastructure for ERP and Hana—this brings opportunities and new challenges. Find out how you can make SAP systems robust, flexible, and future-proof with best practices in planning, security, and operation.

SAP migrations often take longer than expected. It is not for nothing that SAP has extended some maintenance windows. New developments such as automated fit-gap analyses with a downstream factory approach accelerate the transformation.

Linux, as an open source operating system, has been present in the SAP community for about 20 years. But open source is much more. In recent years, the scene has evolved rapidly, and with IBM's acquisition of Red Hat, the topic of "open source" received its B2B accolade.

Holistic SAP modernization should address migration and innovation issues simultaneously and accelerate both. Open-source principles and platforms form the basis for this disruptive approach.

For many years, the expert opinion was that there can be no alternatives to SAP because no other software provider masters similar business complexity. This statement is still true! But what if SAP's existing customers are themselves the alternative?

The silo security of a traditional SAP environment is reaching its limits in an era of increasing interconnection between SAP and non-SAP systems. Does this lead to sacrifices for the security of a process landscape?

SAP's cryptic programming language Abap is not a protective wall against cyber attacks. The Abap code is well documented and other entry points exist. SAP systems are at risk just like other IT systems.

SAP users are caught between the conflicting priorities of migration and innovation. Migration projects with lift-and-shift procedures often dominate at first, and innovation falls by the wayside. But there is a better way.

The main finding at the DSAG Technology Days Conference was that users are still experiencing uncertainty regarding necessary modernization. Time is pressing; after all, the 2027 deadline has once again been confirmed.

Timely replacement of legacy systems ensures future viability, because many companies still use legacy solutions as enterprise software that were once developed in-house and have been steadily maintained over the years.

Orchestrate with open source. Everything is going digital. Everything is being automated. But who keeps track? Which software do we trust to control the flow of all digital processes?