By Elizabeth Kelleher
SAP has launched the first version of its SAP High-Performance Analytic Appliance (SAP HANA) software at the SAP TechEd 2010 event in Bangalore.
The result of a co-innovation program between SAP and key partners and customers, including Coca-Cola Hellenic, Future Group and Hilti Corporation, SAP HANA utilises the power of in-memory data processing to deliver unprecedented benefits to analytics.
According to SAP, HANA also provides a foundation on which a new generation of applications can be built, enabling customers to analyse large quantities of data from virtually any source in real time.
The SAP BusinessObjects Strategic Workforce Planning application is the first such application and will be able to process large quantities of data with an innovative calculation engine that enables application processing to be performed directly “in-memory”.
The application leverages the in-memory database and calculation engine, allowing managers to simulate scenarios in real time, analyse complex relationships and see how proposed organisational changes will impact the business.
“SAP HANA and the first applications built on it are already showing customers the unprecedented speed of in-memory computing, as well as the latency they have in the layers of their current IT systems,” said Vishal Sikka, executive board member, Technology and Innovation Platform, SAP AG.
“The customers we are working with are already recognising the great potential of SAP HANA to deliver solutions that were previously not feasible, and re-thinking how to run their businesses better, now that they can analyse, simulate and react in real time.”
Martin Petry, CIO of Hilti Corporation, said participating in the co-innovation program for SAP HANA showed him how SAP in-memory computing can dramatically improve Hilti’s processes.
“Hilti provided over nine million customer records to SAP. By loading these into SAP HANA, it was possible to comb through these records in a matter of seconds, versus the days it took previously to extract them from our data warehouse and SAP Business Suite,” said Petry.
“We’re looking forward to further exploring the transformative impact of SAP in-memory computing on our business.”
In 2011, SAP plans to work with its partner and customer ecosystem to develop new applications based on SAP HANA that will help utility companies manage power supply in real time, provide retailers more timely analysis of point-of-sale data and enable more accurate sales pipeline forecasting for all types of companies.
