The significance of a Pan-African event like the upcoming Saphila 2014 conference, the flagship biennial event hosted by the African SAP User Group (AFSUG), cannot be underestimated. So says well-known SAP Africa Chief Customer Officer, Simon Carpenter, who explains that a conference of this type is important to SAP's expansion into Africa.
"The IT industry is undergoing a massive shift, moving away from a traditional approach to technology towards a greater focus on flexible, adaptable cloud and mobility solutions, as well as faster, less complex in-memory computing," he says. "SAP's strategy has evolved along with this changing environment, establishing a compelling and simplified offering that includes applications, analytics and engaging user experiences (UX), including mobility, all based on the SAP HANA in-memory computing platform and deployable on-premises or in the cloud."
It is amid all of this change that a user group like AFSUG is indispensible, Carpenter maintains, in its role of assisting companies to navigate their way through a sector that is in constant flux. "The need for the sense of community brought about through a user group is strong. It provides a much needed mechanism via which organisations can share information, innovation and lessons learnt, helping SAP itself to raise its game, in turn, through constant feedback from users."
And while AFSUG makes significant inroads here by regularly bringing together special interest groups (SIGs) for a broad range of industries including automotive, education, retail and supply chain management and logistics, he says, the Saphila event remains the only platform that unites the broader African SAP community and provides the opportunity for cross-sector networking.
Of particular importance to SAP Africa is the fact that the all-new, redesigned Saphila 2014 is reaching out to more Pan-African attendees than ever before. "SAP Africa is helping to drive transformation across the continent, in terms of how local companies and government are using IT to enhance business value, and we believe that a focused, content-rich event like Saphila 2014, that also provides an opportunity for collaboration, plays a key role in this."
The 2014 Saphila conference features a more streamlined approach this year, with 50 exhibition spaces, four world-class keynote speaker slots and 58 sessions over two days. In line with the revitalised concept, this year's Saphila conference sessions will run along five different tracks addressing the strategic SAP pillars.
Says Sal Laher, AFSUG vice chairman: "AFSUG is dedicated in assisting local SAP users to open lines of communication, create connections and build efficient networks. Through the reinvented Saphila 2014, we are also providing a greater emphasis on life 'at the coal face' with more customer presentations than ever before. Right now, AFSUG is finalising all of the elements that will position Saphila as the African technology conference that cannot be missed, and it is certainly shaping up to be an experience like none other."
Saphila 2014 will take place from 9 to 11 June at the purpose built Saphilatown, at the Sun City Resort in North-West Province. The Saphila 2014 Executive Forum kicks off on 8 June. For more information or to register for the upcoming event, please visit www.saphila2014.com.
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