Assessing Vendor Lock-in Realistically<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When choosing a platform, companies are making a strategic decision. The more closely the architecture, interfaces, operational processes, and management tools are tailored to a particular provider, the more difficult it may be to switch later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vendor lock-in isn\u2019t caused solely by technology. Contract models, proprietary services, and locked-in operational knowledge can also limit the portability of an SAP landscape. Autonomy, therefore, does not mean providing every service yourself. It is demonstrated by the ability to continue choosing the location, service provider, and contract model based on your own requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The customer's own SAP licenses form an important foundation for this. Technical operations can be outsourced to a specialized provider, while decisions regarding service levels, costs, and further development remain with the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"On-premises\" does not necessarily mean \"self-operated\"<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"On-premise\" is often equated with servers located on a company's own premises. For modern SAP environments, this definition is too narrow. \"On-premise\" can also mean that a company uses its own SAP licenses and retains control over its operating model, while infrastructure and technical managed services are provided by an external partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SAP S\/4HANA then runs, for example, in a hosting provider\u2019s data centers. The customer does not need to maintain its own hardware or set up a full-fledged 24\/7 operations organization. At the same time, the system landscape is not necessarily tied to a public cloud or subscription model. This allows companies to combine operational relief with strategic control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether this model is suitable depends on the initial situation. System sizing, data volume, interfaces, availability, as well as recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) must be considered, along with security, compliance, and governance requirements. This results in a robust target operating model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Technical Managed Services as the Operational Foundation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Professional SAP hosting involves more than just compute, storage, and networking. To ensure stable operation, the infrastructure, SAP Basis, and IT service management must work together seamlessly. This includes monitoring, patch and release management, backup and restore, high availability, disaster recovery, security monitoring, and database and operating system management. On-call support, a service desk, and defined service level agreements round out the range of services. By outsourcing these tasks, internal IT teams can focus more on business processes, applications, and transformation projects. This is particularly important because SAP specialists are in short supply, while demands for cybersecurity, system availability, and response times are increasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-08-31-Portfoliouebersicht-Fokus-SAP-Hosting-1200x495.png\")