"Intelligent companies are integrated companies," is how Georg Fischer, PM and innovation coach at SAP, sums it up. SAP has developed the Business Technology Platform (BTP) to make the best possible use of this rapidly changing integrated environment.
BTP replaces the SAP Cloud Platform (SCP). "Hardware companies are developing more and more in the direction of software companies. They are trying to address and create USPs, opportunities and pain points themselves. Centralized IT is needed to exploit this potential and manage the processes." A company's valuable data sets are thus bundled, integrated and made available.
Many sources, one platform: BTP is a cloud integration platform based on the multicloud approach. In addition to SAP data masters, it can also be used to access third-party applications and other sources, both in the cloud and on-premise. BTP connects all these sources and makes the data immediately available. This simplifies processes and eliminates the need to switch between different systems or clouds, which significantly speeds up processes.
Enabling data analysis across all system boundaries increases the benefit and value of all data. This not only saves money through faster processes, but also helps to reduce hardware and maintenance costs. Above all, however, BTP raises additional potential in the form of increased data quality. Linking data enables new business cases and the development of innovative applications.
Boost in data quality:
SAP BTP is divided into three levels: the foundation level, the data level and the application level.
At these levels, SAP services are divided into four categories: Database and Data Management, Analytics, Application Development and Integration and Intelligent Technologies. The first category includes SAP databases such as HANA and HANA Cloud, SAP IQ and Server Enterprise. Services such as SAP Master Data Governance, SAP Data Intelligence and SAP Information Steward are available for data management. This part of BTP enables flexible data provision, reduces redundancies and also links data from external sources. In the Analytics category, these various data sources can be evaluated in real time.
BTP: Development Helpers: The Application Development and Integration category includes services such as the SAP Extension Suite, the SAP Integration Suite and SAP Process Orchestration. They simplify the development of applications. As the name suggests, the fourth category uses intelligent technologies such as AI, automation, blockchain, big data and IoT. These are implemented using SAP Robotic Process and Conversational AI. This enables users to develop new technologies and innovative products without system disruption. Georg Fischer therefore speaks of "seamless", i.e. the seamless integration of various systems. One fact shows just how important this is: "On average, a company's IT department manages 150 systems." BTP shows: "That doesn't have to be the case."