SAP® Open Platform-as-a-Service Delivers New Extensions, Partnerships, Services and Applications
SAP SE today announced the Spring 2016 edition of SAP 
HANA® Cloud Platform, which includes a range of new capabilities and features enabling organizations to accelerate their digital transformation and better integrate and extend their SAP® software environments.
SAP HANA Cloud Platform provides a fast, reliable and simple platform-as-a-service to build entirely new cloud applications, extend existing on-premise and cloud applications, and integrate cloud applications with SAP customers’ digital core. This announcement was made at the 28th annual SAPPHIRE® NOW conference.
Innovations in the spring edition include an application programming interface (API) hub, prebuilt extensions for applications based on SAP S/4HANA, enhancements to the extension package for SAP SuccessFactors® solutions in SAP HANA Cloud Platform, new lines of business and mobile apps from partners, and added services for SAP HANA Cloud Platform. Updates to the SAP HANA App Center include improved navigation and sorting capabilities and a self-publishing app capability for partners. Additionally, visitors can get started with user-based packages for SAP HANA Cloud Platform with a simple digital purchase on the SAP Store.
“It’s crucial for our broad ecosystem of customers and partners to drive transformation and innovation in the cloud,” said Björn Goerke, executive vice president and corporate officer, SAP. “The latest updates to SAP HANA Cloud Platform give companies the flexibility, choice and efficiencies needed to innovate and drive growth across their entire business.”
Additional Capabilities to Further Extend SAP Solutions
Extensions to SAP HANA Cloud Platform enable customers to easily add functionality to cloud solutions from SAP, as well as integrate these with SAP on-premise solutions. Included in the extensions are built-in capabilities for user single sign-on and access governance, a common user experience, and automatic provisioning of services for SAP HANA Cloud Platform into cloud solutions from SAP. New extensions include:
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Extensions for SAP S/4HANA: Building on the digital core provided by SAP S/4HANA, these extensions empower customers to use SAP HANA Cloud Platform to quickly and easily customize, personalize and extend SAP S/4HANA with new capabilities and new delivery methods to tablets and smartphones.
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Extensions for SAP SuccessFactors solutions: The extension package for SAP SuccessFactors solutions in SAP HANA Cloud Platform makes it quicker and easier for companies to extend human resources (HR) capabilities, as well as integrate with existing business processes. The extension package includes administration of SAP HANA Cloud Platform in the extension center for SAP SuccessFactors solutions and the ability for apps built with SAP HANA Cloud Platform to consume SAP SuccessFactors intelligent services, as well as workflow integration between SAP HANA Cloud Platform and SAP SuccessFactors solutions.
Extended Partnerships Around SAP HANA Cloud Platform
SAP has established an extensive ecosystem of over 400 partners building apps for SAP HANA Cloud Platform and features close to 1,000 ready-to-deploy apps available on the SAP HANA App Center. Examples of new partner apps include:
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IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps, which combine enterprise data, security and analytics with an elegant user experience created in IBM digital “garages,” and can integrate with SAP software systems using SAP HANA Cloud Platform. These include:
o Claims Adjust, providing insurance adjusters the ability to prioritize, document and close claims from the field with an intuitive user experience from their mobile device
o Fast Fix, providing field service professionals with guided diagnostics to fix consumer products and other field service issues quickly and efficiently while improving customer satisfaction
o Parts Expert, providing real-time visibility into available equipment parts, allowing field technicians to diagnose problems faster and locate the right parts required to get customers’ equipment up and running quicker
“We’re building on our long-standing partnership with SAP, extending our mobile platform and made-for-business apps to integrate with SAP applications via SAP HANA Cloud Platform,” said Nancy Thomas, managing partner, Global Enterprise Applications, IBM Global Business Services. “IBM can integrate all of the more than 100 IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps through SAP HANA Cloud Platform on behalf of our clients, providing more professionals a consumer-grade experience that transforms the nature of work.”
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MacroMicro OrgInsight provides a new way for senior executives and HR professionals to analyze, understand and optimize their workforce. OrgInsight is an innovative application extension to SAP SuccessFactors solutions built on SAP HANA Cloud Platform that uses native analytics capabilities in SAP HANA.
“Managers require a holistic understanding of the organizational composition to effectively manage their workforce,” said Brad Peterson, CEO of MacroMicro. “To address this need, we built a visually attractive and innovative application powered by SAP HANA Cloud Platform, which revolutionizes the way in which business leaders and data analysts are deriving insight from their entire organizations.”
Additional Services Added to SAP HANA Cloud Platform
New services highlight SAP support of open source software, expedite integration of SAP apps, enable innovation of new Internet of Things (IoT) apps, power predictive apps and accelerate deployment of apps to any device with modern, role-based user interfaces. Highlights of the new services are:
· SAP API Central: The new beta version of SAP API Central plans to provide easy access to different sandbox APIs of SAP HANA Cloud Platform and other business applications from SAP. Customers, partners and developers will be able to search the hub for available business services, publish new business services to the hub and collaborate with others to develop and exchange innovative business services.
Cloud Foundry beta services: In support of open systems and open source software in the cloud, SAP delivered the beta edition of SAP HANA Cloud Platform, starter edition for Cloud Foundry services. This beta edition supports various Cloud Foundry buildpacks including MongoDB, Redis, PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ and Node.js. These services, becoming available through the SAP HANA Cloud Platform cockpit, are planned to enable developers to create new and innovative Cloud Foundry-based applications that run on SAP HANA Cloud Platform.
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SAP Fiori®, cloud edition: SAP has also expanded its cloud-based user experience (UX) services with the availability of SAP Fiori, cloud edition, including the SAP Fiori mobile service and third-party integrations. These powerful cloud services help simplify, streamline and mobilize the user experience of SAP Business Suite applications. With SAP Fiori, cloud edition, users have a full demo-to-production cloud environment to experience, extend and run SAP Fiori apps and SAP Fiori launchpad — while consuming business data securely from on-premise SAP apps.
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SAP HANA Cloud Platform software development kit (SDK) exclusively for iOS: SAP and Apple recently announced plans to deliver a new SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK exclusively for iOS that will provide businesses, designers and developers the tools to quickly and efficiently build their own iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, based on SAP HANA Cloud Platform.
