The SAP BTP (SAP Business Technology Platform) offers companies many additional options to their ERP system. The modern cloud solution is explained in detail here!
The SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) is a cloud platform that helps companies manage, extend and integrate applications, data and processes in a centralized environment. It combines various technologies from the areas of data management, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, integration and application development to give companies more flexibility in designing their system landscape.
Unlike traditional cloud platforms, SAP BTP was developed specifically for the SAP environment. It enables companies to expand and individualize their SAP-based business processes. It also makes it possible to efficiently connect SAP and non-SAP applications with one another so that no fragmented IT landscapes are created.
The BTP is roughly divided into three levels:
SAP BTP was introduced in 2021 as a strategic evolution of the previous SAP Cloud Platform (SCP). The latter was originally released in 2012 and primarily served as a development and integration platform for SAP and third-party apps. The services of the SCP were transferred to the BTP. However, additional functions were added – such as the option to integrate non-SAP applications.
The SAP Business Technology Platform comprises a large number of solutions, which the software provider divides into the following areas:
These functional areas are described in more detail below.
SAP BTP enables the development, expansion and automation of applications in a flexible and scalable cloud environment. Various tools and services are available for this purpose:
SAP BTP includes a range of powerful tools for data management, processing, analysis and visualization to improve business decisions. These include:
In this area, the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) enables an integrated approach that links different business areas with one another and facilitates cross-departmental planning. The following planning variants are supported in detail:
This functional area is all about the SAP Integration Suite. As an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), it enables companies to connect both on-premise and cloud-based resources. In detail, the suite has the following features:
In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) provides the following main components:
The SAP Business Technology Platform is not a direct competitor to large cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud. While these hyperscalers provide basic resources such as computing power and storage space, SAP BTP has a different focus. It ensures that SAP software – above all SAP S/4HANA Cloud – can be optimally used and expanded.
Many companies rely on a mixture of SAP BTP and hyperscalers to make their IT infrastructure flexible. Hyperscalers provide powerful tools for artificial intelligence, IoT or big data, while SAP BTP ensures that these technologies work seamlessly with SAP applications. For example, this approach makes it possible to link Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory with SAP or use AWS services for automation.
This combination allows companies to benefit from the advantages of both worlds: The robust infrastructure of the hyperscalers ensures high performance, while SAP BTP acts as a bridge to improve business processes in SAP systems and make them more efficient.
With the SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP is pursuing a comprehensive strategy aimed at supporting companies in their digital transformation through integration, innovation and agility. The core aspects of this strategy can be summarized as follows:
There are numerous reasons to use the SAP Business Technology Platform. This is especially true for companies that use SAP S/4HANA Cloud. This is because this ERP system relies heavily on standards and cannot be individually modified (especially in the public cloud version). Instead, it is part of SAP’s strategy for companies to map their specific requirements using the BTP options. The advantage in this case is that the core of S/4HANA remains “clean” (clean core principle). This in turn has a positive effect on the maintenance and update capability of the ERP solution.
However, there are other aspects that speak in favor of using SAP BTP. One important point is the issue of integration. Companies today work with a large number of IT systems, both within and outside the SAP ecosystem. SAP BTP makes it possible to connect these systems, manage data centrally and efficiently control business processes across different systems. This reduces complexity, improves data quality and facilitates collaboration between departments and partners.
The platform also includes powerful analysis and AI-supported automation functions. This enables companies to evaluate large amounts of data in real time, use machine learning to optimize processes and make recurring tasks more efficient through automation. The cloud architecture also ensures that companies benefit from continuous innovations and updates without having to update their systems manually.
No SAP S/4HANA system is required to use the SAP Business Technology Platform. SAP BTP is designed as an open platform and can also be used independently of an S/4HANA system.
Companies that still use older versions such as SAP ECC can still use SAP BTP to manage data, perform integrations, develop AI-supported applications or implement automation processes. Companies that operate third-party software or hybrid IT landscapes also benefit from the integration functions of SAP BTP.
For companies with SAP S/4HANA, however, SAP BTP offers additional advantages, particularly in the area of side-by-side extensions. Instead of making adjustments directly in the ERP system, extensions can be developed on the BTP.
Important for companies with an upcoming migration: applications that were developed on SAP BTP and used under SAP ECC will also be available in SAP S/4HANA after the migration.
SAP has recognized that the networking of SAP systems and non-SAP systems is an important prerequisite for successful digital transformation and smooth processes in companies. The BTP is therefore designed as an open platform. Non-SAP software can be easily connected thanks to this architecture. In this case, companies are supported by a wide range of APIs, connectors and middleware solutions. Among other things, CRM systems, HR systems, IoT platforms and e-commerce systems can be integrated. Numerous different data sources can also be tapped into for analyses and AI applications.
While SAP development was heavily based on ABAP in the past, the variety of programming languages that can be used has increased significantly thanks to SAP BTP. The following technologies are primarily used for development on the platform:
In order to enable the operation and provision of services in the cloud independently of the provider, the major hyperscalers have come together in the so-called “Cloud Foundry Foundation”. Everything here revolves around a globally uniform, independent standard. SAP BTP has a Cloud Foundry environment that is based on this standard.
Using this open source runtime and development environment, it is possible to develop cloud applications in different programming languages and make them available in different regions of the world. Each region is represented by the data center of a hyperscaler such as Amazon, Google or Microsoft.
The key advantage of the Cloud Foundry environment in SAP BTP is that developers can quickly create, deploy and scale new cloud-native applications without having to worry about servers or infrastructure. This is because the cloud provider takes on the latter task.
SAP BTP equips companies with several essential capabilities for digital transformation. The first of these is the networking of systems, departments and external partners. This is crucial for the end-to-end digitalization and automation of processes.
It also enables companies to use data and convert it into decision-relevant information. This feature – data-driven decision-making – is also characteristic of digitalized companies.
In addition, the SAP Business Technology Platform creates good conditions for mapping new business requirements quickly and without high internal IT costs in the ERP ecosystem. This creates the necessary agility for current and future challenges.
Last but not least, companies are continuously supplied with innovative technologies such as AI and machine learning via the BTP, which means that digital transformation can be constantly driven forward.
The SAP Business Technology Platform is currently available in three different licensing and pricing models. One option is “Pay-As-You-Go”. Here, companies only pay for the services they actually use. This variant is particularly suitable for proof-of-concepts or smaller projects with unpredictable resource requirements.
The second model is called “SAP BTP Enterprise Agreement”. This is a consumption-based model in which companies purchase a specific cloud credit in advance. The option includes flexible service options at discounted prices. It is particularly suitable for companies with dynamic requirements and larger projects.
The third option is the subscription model. In this case, companies pay a fixed amount for access to specific cloud services over a defined period of time. Subscription is ideal for scenarios with clearly defined requirements and ensures good financial predictability.
Yes, the SAP Business Technology Platform can be tried out free of charge. There is a 90-day trial version (SAP BTP Trial) that provides access to many services. There is also a “free tier model”, which allows selected services to be used permanently free of charge. The free tier is suitable for testing, prototyping and learning purposes. It can be upgraded to a paid version if required. Registration for both variants takes place via the SAP website.
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