SAP AG Ian Kimbel gave a view of the next SAP generation at the opening session of this year`s Saphila user group conference at Sun City yesterday.
In looking at how SAP can help deliver value, Kimbel pointed out that while the current emphasis was on the client-server scenario, the future was in Web services and there was a need to build on existing technologies. Kimbel took his audience through various steps involved in signing on a new member of staff. He did this through an enterprise portal that made available all the information and applications necessary to organise security clearance and even purchase office equipment.
Kimbel told Saphila delegates that the seamless transition from one application to the other was made possible by Xapps, many of which would be included in the next generation of SAP products.
"An Xapp sits on top of other applications and pulls out the information that is needed," explained Kimbel. "Xapps are applications that can use other applications to enable people to do their work."
The demonstration showed how much easier an Xapp will make mergers and acquisitions by being able to pull in information from different places in the organisations involved. Kimbel says this ability to exchange information between two different systems will be made much easier through the exchange infrastructure Xapp. The potential of this Xapp was shown through a seamless link into an Internet auction site as example of an asset disposal tool within the mergers and acquisitions application.
The theme of this year`s Saphila conference is "demystifying value creation". Kimbel pointed out that by adding value, business could work smarter and more efficiently. "By reducing the operating costs, more money will be available for development," he said.
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