51·çÁ÷has restructured the award recognition to provide more meaningful distinction, reflect our partners’ essential contributions, and ensure all award categories align to the Partner Ecosystem Success strategy. The newly created 51·çÁ÷Partner Awards replace previous recognition programs, including the 51·çÁ÷Pinnacle Awards, the 51·çÁ÷Global LoB Partner Excellence Awards, and the 51·çÁ÷Regional Partner Excellence Awards.

51·çÁ÷partners are an essential extension of our team, driving success throughout the Customer Value Journey and helping our customers bring out their best. We rely on our partners’ unique industry expertise, implementation methodologies, and complementary solutions to meet the specific needs of customers, especially as they transition to the cloud and embed artificial intelligence (AI) into their business practices.

To exemplify our ongoing commitment to partners, our new awards framework continues the tradition of rewarding outstanding achievements and excellence. These awards recognize significant partner contributions in market units, regionally, and, most prestigiously, at the global level.

We are pleased to announce the . Only 23 partners are recipients of this esteemed award. These influential partners have illustrated the ability to help customers thrive through innovative services, products, and solutions.

The 2026 51·çÁ÷Partner Awards recognize 50 categories globally and are based on performance from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. As in previous years, selections were determined using system-generated data on core weighted metrics and key performance indicators. A steering committee of global 51·çÁ÷representatives then viewed, vetted, and ranked the achievements according to internal criteria aligned with SAP’s communicated business strategies.

Recipients will be celebrated during and and will be invited to exclusive networking opportunities with peers and 51·çÁ÷leadership. These partners will also receive a communication package to help promote their success. To further amplify this achievement, 51·çÁ÷will list winners on its website for a year and through its communication channels to maximize global exposure to prospects and customers.

Congratulations to the 2026 . We look forward to applauding your success at and .

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

As 51·çÁ÷accelerates our strategy around applications, data, and AI, these certification enhancements will help ensure our growing ecosystem is aligned—both technically and directionally—with our clean core, cloud-forward, and AI-ready approach.Ěý

A framework designed around partner and customer needs 

51·çÁ÷is committed to delivering business innovations across applications, data, and AI. With this update, we have listened closely to partners and customers and introduced enhancements that make it easier for partners toĚývalidateĚýtheir solutions whileĚýmaintainingĚýSAP’sĚýhigh standards:Ěý

• Empowering customers toĚýleverageĚýdata-driven business and enterprise AI—securely and at scaleĚý
• Supporting intelligent apps, seamless cloud connectivity, and adoption of 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform (51·çÁ÷BTP)
• Adhering to SAP’s “clean core” extensibility guidelines, ensuring future-ready, upgradable integrations

Integration certification and the new interoperability review 

Our refreshed framework offersĚýtwo clear paths for partners.

Integration certification (use-case based) 

• For partner solutions aligned with 51·çÁ÷strategic priorities (51·çÁ÷BTP-based, using 51·çÁ÷Business AI, clean core, public cloud, and intelligent apps)
• Certification awarded for specific use cases that adhere to SAPĚýstrategic priorities forĚýintegration, data, and development guidelines
• Benefits include certified status, branding rights, and access to go-to-market support, with clear guidance and transparency throughout the process

Interoperability review (open and inclusive) 

We are especially excited to introduce theĚýinteroperability review,Ěýa new open program designed in response to partner and customer feedback.

• Open to all partnerĚýand independent software vendor (ISV)Ěýsolutions, including those that may not be eligible forĚýintegrationĚýcertification
• ShowcaseĚýtechnical compatibility with 51·çÁ÷solutions throughĚýcompliance withĚýtechnicalĚýintegrationĚýstandardsĚý
• Solutions listed as interoperableĚýon 51·çÁ÷Notes and receive detailedĚýreviewĚýsummery
• Helps partnersĚýdemonstrateĚýinteroperability and 51·çÁ÷compliance to customers.

This new interoperabilityĚýreviewĚýreflects our commitment toĚýlisten to the 51·çÁ÷ecosystemĚýandĚýenable more partnersĚýand ISVsĚýtoĚýparticipate, fostering innovation across our platform.Ěý

How this benefits partners and customersĚýĚý

For partners:

• Easier access to SAP’s integration framework, even if formal certificationĚýis notĚýapplicable
• Clear pathways for strategic alignment and accelerated development of maintainable, future-ready solutions
• Co-marketing visibility for certified solutions

For customers: 

• Access to a broader set of partner solutions that are future-ready, upgradable, and compliant with SAP’s clean core standards
• Confidence in interoperability and technical quality across SAP’s business application landscape
• Faster adoption of data-rich solutions built on robust foundations

Looking forward 

The new framework,Ěýplanned toĚýlaunch inĚýQ3 2026, is designed toĚýempower partners, build trust with customers, and accelerate innovation across SAP’s platform.

Our Partner Ecosystem Success team will support this transition throughout the second half of 2026. Partners can preview the criteria for the integration certification and the interoperability review in the or reach out to your 51·çÁ÷partner manager or the 51·çÁ÷ICC team with questions. 

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer of 51·çÁ÷SE.

To further empower partners to build AI-driven innovations and unlock new possibilities for customers, we are pleased to announce free access to 51·çÁ÷Build test, demo, and development (TDD) licenses for all 51·çÁ÷partners.

51·çÁ÷Build offers partners a comprehensive suite of low-code, code-first, and generative AI tools to create custom Joule skills and agents, applications, automations, and digital workspaces. This new offering gives partners access to 51·çÁ÷Build with included entitlements up to fair use limits, allowing ISVs to innovate at a low initial cost.

Partners can use 51·çÁ÷Build to develop, test, and deploy applications and proofs of concept, making it easier to bring new solutions to market. These solutions can be sold on 51·çÁ÷Store, expanding the reach to SAP’s global customer base.

Free TDD licenses for 51·çÁ÷partners: what’s included

Here is what’s included — all available as of today:

• All 51·çÁ÷Build capabilities (developer, base and premium user, runtime, including Joule Studio and ABAP Cloud)
• 51·çÁ÷HANA Cloud, our multi-model database, which serves, among other capabilities, as an enabler for RAG applications and powerful persistency layer for 51·çÁ÷Build projects
• Additional 51·çÁ÷BTP services such as generative AI hub, logging services, cloud identity, and others

Furthermore, the 51·çÁ÷Joule for Developers add-on continues to be free for customers and partners until further notice as part of a promotion.Ěý

Accelerating transformative AI innovation on 51·çÁ÷Build

51·çÁ÷Build makes it easier than ever for partners to develop and integrate AI into their applications. With a 51·çÁ÷Build developer license, you can use Joule Studio to create and enhance Joule skills — all with intuitive drag-and-drop tools.

And, coming soon, agent builder in Joule Studio will let you design, build, and deploy your own custom AI agents. These agents will tap into the 51·çÁ÷Knowledge Graph for rich business insights and the 51·çÁ÷Business Data Cloud (51·çÁ÷BDC) for seamless access to data across 51·çÁ÷and non-51·çÁ÷systems.

At the heart of it all is AI Foundation, your one-stop shop for AI. The powerful, easy-to-use platform brings together everything you need to build, extend, and scale AI solutions. With tools like generative AI Hub, partners have secure access to frontier large language models (LLMs), prompt management, and tools, such as data masking and more, that provide them with everything they need to innovate with confidence.

51·çÁ÷Build: making it easier for partners to create intelligent applications

There is even more to look forward to as we continue to invest in new 51·çÁ÷Build capabilities to help partners innovate and grow their market share.

In the second half of 2025, 51·çÁ÷Build , enabling developers to connect with 51·çÁ÷BDC data products. Coming in early 2026, partners will be able to use 51·çÁ÷Build to create and data products that can be used with 51·çÁ÷Business Data Cloud.

Unlock the full potential of 51·çÁ÷Build: exclusive webinar and partner resources

To learn more, partners can on August 13, 2025. Partners can visit the for more information about 51·çÁ÷Build capabilities and TDD license fair use limits.

Michael Ameling is president of 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform and a member of the Extended Board of 51·çÁ÷SE.
Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer of SAP.

Businesses today rightly expect faster value realization, streamlined implementations, and solutions that are flexible, scalable, and embedded with intelligent technologies, such as AI.

With the launch earlier this year of , a unified system integrating applications, data, and AI to seamlessly connect and optimize every business function, customers can benefit from a continuous cycle of value and unlock innovation faster and easier than ever before.

By embarking on the journey, existing 51·çÁ÷ERP customers can modernize with a cloud ERP landscape and realize the full potential of 51·çÁ÷Business Suite. To ensure businesses have the foundation needed to fully leverage the suite’s capabilities, a successful implementation is crucial.

Our RISE with 51·çÁ÷project delivery is undergoing a profound shift, empowering our service partner ecosystem to meet these heightened expectations with innovative methodologies, comprehensive tools, and validation programs.

The new paradigm: customer priorities in 51·çÁ÷projects

Today’s organizations grapple with complex legacy processes, siloed data, and highly customized systems. They seek:

• Speed to value: Building a resilient digital backbone that delivers measurable benefits within weeks or months
• Industry-standard solutions: Minimizing costly customizations to enable faster deployment, simplified upgrades, and easier maintenance
• Reusable intellectual property: Configurations over modifications ensure portability and scalability
• Operational modernization: Leveraging automation and standardized processes to reduce redundancies and risks and improve data access
• Embedded AI and automation: Accelerating decision cycles, reducing manual efforts, and enhancing accuracy

SAP’s response: enabling partners to drive customer success

51·çÁ÷recognizes that delivering on these expectations requires a strategic partnership approach, combining the future-proof cloud and AI innovations with disciplined governance, clear ownership and accountability, and best practices. Our approach centers on the RISE with 51·çÁ÷Methodology, complemented by an integrated toolchain and a dedicated focus on partner capability enhancement.

RISE with 51·çÁ÷Methodology: framework for agile transformation

The RISE with 51·çÁ÷Methodology provides a comprehensive pathway that emphasizes a clean core architecture, standardized best practices, and collaborative implementation strategies. Included are:

• Standardized framework: Building scalable, repeatable project road maps that cater to diverse industry requirements, from streamlined deployments to complex, multinational programs
• Integrated toolchain: Enabling seamless collaboration with 51·çÁ÷tools, such as 51·çÁ÷Cloud ALM, 51·çÁ÷Signavio, 51·çÁ÷LeanIX, and 51·çÁ÷Build — powered by AI — to ensure data consistency and process automation
• Expert guidance: From discovery to deployment, 51·çÁ÷and qualified partners guide projects, focusing on value creation and risk mitigation

The results speak for themselves. Customer outcomes include:

• Up to 30 percent reduction in transformation costs
• Up to 35 percent faster realization of benefits
• Up to 70 percent increase in business agility
• Up to 40 percent acceleration in innovation cycles

RISE with 51·çÁ÷Validated Partner recognition: elevating our service partner ecosystem

51·çÁ÷is committed to ensuring our partners have the necessary skills and certifications to stay aligned with this evolving landscape. To that end, we’ve introduced the RISE with 51·çÁ÷Validated Partner recognition. Launched in 2024, this program recognizes partners that demonstrate excellence in delivering 51·çÁ÷large and complex cloud ERP projects with consistency and quality.

Qualified partners that accept SAP’s invitation must adhere to clear guidelines, including:

• Global adoption of RISE with 51·çÁ÷Methodology: Ensuring consistency across all delivery teams and regions
• Focus on clean core quality gates: Partner projects must document the respective clean core quality gates in 51·çÁ÷Cloud ALM
• Enhanced toolchain utilization: A strong emphasis on automation, collaboration, and project governance through SAP’s integrated platform suite
• Professional certifications: Equipping key roles — project managers, developers, architects, consultants — with updated, in-demand skills aligned with SAP’s cloud and AI innovations

Ensuring partner success: tools, training, and innovation

The RISE with 51·çÁ÷Validated Partner recognition is underpinned by a close alignment between qualified partners and 51·çÁ÷teams throughout all engagements, from sales to delivery, ensuring early identification of any potential barriers, to success.

Additionally, 51·çÁ÷invests heavily in supporting partners with resources such as funding and incentives, , , and a vibrant where partners can share best practices, access the latest updates, and collaborate with 51·çÁ÷experts (log-in required).

To help customers harness the full potential of AI to drive value, partners must apply tools like Joule to effectively automate and optimize processes for superior outcomes. 51·çÁ÷Joule for Consultants empowers consultants to work smarter, automate routine tasks, and focus on strategic activities. Given its grounding in terabytes of both public and proprietary data, 51·çÁ÷Joule for Consultants can accelerate customer project delivery by up to 14 percent.  

Looking ahead

By aligning with SAP’s proven methodologies, leveraging our integrated toolchain, and maintaining high standards of certification and expertise, our RISE with 51·çÁ÷Validated partners are uniquely positioned to deliver solutions that truly meet customer expectations in today’s fast-paced, digitally driven environment.

Together, 51·çÁ÷and its service partners are committed to driving innovation, accelerating time-to-value, and enabling sustainable transformation — ensuring our customers remain competitive in a rapidly changing world.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

Since our beginnings in 1972, 51·çÁ÷has led with a bold strategy. That spirit continued through to our pivot to the cloud five years ago and, more recently, with Joule, our powerful AI copilot.

I spoke about this during our latest 51·çÁ÷Global Partner Summit at 51·çÁ÷Sapphire in Orlando, joined by 51·çÁ÷Executive Board Members, including CEO Christian Klein, COO Sebastian Steinhaeuser, and 51·çÁ÷Product and Engineering Head Muhammad Alam, during an exciting, live-streamed .

Our boldness has paid off. 51·çÁ÷was named this year, and our more than 25 percent. 51·çÁ÷continues to dominate our market because we have the boldness to change and influence the direction of our industry.

What’s even more notable is that we are shaping the future together with our partners, which had their best year ever in 2024. Partners are leading the change with us across everything we do — from introducing new customers to 51·çÁ÷innovations to extending our growing portfolio, especially as demand for proven AI value continues to take off.

To top it off, it is our customers that see some of the biggest wins. Our partners ensure our customers achieve true business transformation, enabling them to operate, provide products and services, and compete at their best. We are committed to their success today and tomorrow — and that’s why we have to make our next bold move together.

51·çÁ÷Business Suite: Harmonized business applications, AI, and data

The 51·çÁ÷Global Partner Summit highlighted the opportunities 51·çÁ÷Business Suite offers our partners and customers. Our vision of the suite evolves Software-as-a-Service into Suite-as-a-Service. Only 51·çÁ÷has it — unrivaled AI, unmatched data, unparalleled applications — offered together in one seamless experience, and the opportunity is enormous.Ěý51·çÁ÷Business Suite will help customers solve their toughest business challenges like never before.

With the suite, partners can meet customers where they are and grow to unlock their full potential. It sets up customers for the clean core they need to scale, but also represents incredible upsell and cross-sell opportunities for 51·çÁ÷partners, regardless of partner type.

Beyond this, 51·çÁ÷is introducing to simplify customers’ engagement with the 51·çÁ÷portfolio. This new approach aligns capabilities and product offerings with customers’ lines of business. Partners can guide customers to the best-fit packages that deliver the integration, intelligence, and additional functionality needed for their specific business.

Even more opportunities for partners

To drive growth and empower our partners to innovate and scale at their best, we are also bringing our “A” game with leading initiatives that demonstrate our unwavering commitment to their success:

• We announced the new 51·çÁ÷Referral program, launching in North America in the third quarter, that rewards partners for every lead they can’t close on their own.
• This year, we launched partner-led territories globally, allowing partners to become more self-sufficient across the entire Customer Value Journey.
• Our award-winning 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge program has evolved to be even stronger,including a new leveling framework focused on cloud performance.
• We’ve adapted our commercial models for software partners to ensure they are integrated into 51·çÁ÷Business Suite, with new packages that include partner solutions to help deliver the full end-to-end experience to our customers.

How to capitalize on partner opportunities with SAP

There are four key actions for partners ready to seize the great opportunity that 51·çÁ÷Business Suite and our evolving partnership create:

• Autonomy: Learn more about partner-led territories and begin taking more control of the Customer Value Journey, with enablement and support from SAP. Always lead with 51·çÁ÷Cloud ERP as a sustainable growth engine. The opt-in window is now open, and 51·çÁ÷will continue to expand territories.
• Quality: Customers will benefit from optimal performance and scalability when partners apply RISE with 51·çÁ÷Methodology to every project. Ensuring that customers preserve a clean core and use our integrated toolchain will deliver a smooth transition to the cloud.
• Innovation: Building complementary solutions to 51·çÁ÷Business Suite using 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform. Partner solutions are a key component of our value proposition.
• Learning: Explore the 51·çÁ÷Learning Journey for 51·çÁ÷Business Suite on 51·çÁ÷Learning Hub and understand how we integrate applications, data, and AI across all functions to enhance business processes from end to end. Partners also have the opportunity to elevate their credibility in the market by earning 51·çÁ÷Business Suite certifications.

Focusing on these four key areas will allow our partner ecosystem to capitalize on the opportunity of 51·çÁ÷Business Suite.

Winning together

Now, more than ever, partners must demonstrate their commitment to driving customer value, backed by deep technical expertise and business transformation experience.

We need to work together, much like a sports team, each identifying our strengths, committing to the position we’ll play, and building our skills. And, as in the story of a championship team, it starts with belief. That belief will propel us to deliver exceptional value for our customers.

Be bold, and we’ll be unstoppable together.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer of SAP.

By demonstrating successful alignment with SAP’s business strategy, these partners are celebrated for notably delivering innovative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services and solutions to customers.

For more than two decades, award recipients have been recognized for their outstanding achievements and excellence, and in continuing that tradition we are pleased to announce this year’s .

51·çÁ÷partners are an extension of our team, and we empower them to lead the way across the Customer Value Journey and help customers bring out their best. This year’s winners and finalists exemplify a stronger commitment to our evolved criteria for customer success, which extend to every stage of the Customer Value Journey.

These influential partners have illustrated their unique industry expertise, implementation methodologies, and complementary solutions that helped customers thrive and succeed in business. Their significant contributions are helping to propel the acceleration of innovative services, products, and solutions to meet the specific needs of the customer, especially as they transition to the cloud.

Across the 24 categories being recognized for 2025, 19 partners have been named winners and 28 partners named finalists of this esteemed award. As in previous years, selections were made using system-generated data on core metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). A steering committee of global 51·çÁ÷representatives then reviewed, vetted, and ranked the achievements according to internal criteria based on SAP’s communicated business strategies.

Being recognized as an 51·çÁ÷Pinnacle Award winner or finalist offers qualified partners a unique opportunity for additional global exposure. To amplify this achievement, winners and finalists will receive a communication package to help them promote their success. Additionally, 51·çÁ÷will list the winners and finalists on its website for a year and through its communication channels promote these winners and finalists to joint prospects and customers.

Congratulations to this year’s . We look forward to celebrating your success at at and .

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

SAP’s vibrant ecosystem of over 25,000 partners and 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge open ecosystem members helps ensure customers are supported and thriving across the entire customer journey. These trusted partners share SAP’s vision of helping companies bring out their best and can be the catalyst to true business transformation. Partners apply their deep technical expertise and business experience to build on, sell, service, and run SAP’s leading cloud ERP and AI solutions.

Recognizing this and the need to empower partners to set the right foundation for the cloud, 51·çÁ÷is revamping 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge—its flagship, global program to engage with partners, no matter their route to market. The program, now 100% cloud-focused, is designed to help recognize and elevate partners that are ready to support customers in the cloud-powered AI economy.

A Closer Look at the Changes Coming in 2025

Prioritizing partners that are in lockstep with SAP’s vision to drive business growth and customer value, we are focusing on the following key pillars for the 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge program in 2025:

• Aligning with SAP’s cloud vision: We’ve redesigned the program with elements that support and incentivize partners to reflect SAP’s strategic cloud focus. This helps differentiate partners that are fully aligned with SAP’s direction.
• Deepening 51·çÁ÷expertise: Under the new framework, expertise plays an even stronger role in determining partner levels. Competencies and specializations—focused on cloud solutions from SAP—serve as benchmarks of a partner’s maturity and credibility. These also signal to customers that they can trust a partner’s expertise in areas most critical to their business.
• Championing AI adoption: To meet the AI moment, partners are further motivated to innovate on tools that can lower the bar to entry for customers to leverage AI technologies. From no-code simplicity to advanced customization, partners are encouraged to build on SAP’s embedded AI portfolio and create tailored solutions that meet our customers’ unique needs.
• Committing to customer value: Long-term success for our customers is our top priority—and it holds true weight in our partner program as well. By prioritizing solution adoption-led growth, aligning delivery practices to SAP’s cloud methodologies, and delivering measurable outcomes, partners can create lasting value throughout the customer lifecycle, ultimately propelling their partnership too.

An Approach Endorsed by Industry Experts

These changes to the 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge program signal our deepened commitment to the cloud, AI innovations, and, most importantly, our customers and their success. Industry experts agree, highlighting the drivers behind this transformation and SAP’s proactive approach:

“The convergence of cloud and artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of business innovation,” said Dave McCarthy, research vice president, Cloud and Edge Services at IDC. “This synergy is driving transformative advancements across industries.”

“51·çÁ÷understands this shift and is actively taking steps to ensure its partner ecosystem is aligned and paving the path for businesses to leverage breakthrough innovations,” added Steve White, program vice president, Channels and Alliances at IDC.

Supporting Customers to Find Their Best-Fit Partner

Under our new program framework, 51·çÁ÷and partners will be able to experience increased synergy as they move forward focused on the cloud and AI. However, customers will see the greatest benefits. While 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge is designed for partners, its goal is to ultimately create a robust ecosystem that has the experience, knowledge, and specialization to address the unique needs of all of our customers and create a blueprint for long-term success.

For businesses ready to find their best-fit partner, can provide easy search functionality to quickly find partners that match their industry, line of business, or size. It also showcases each partner’s level, competencies, and unique qualifications, such as the GROW with 51·çÁ÷partner designation. 

For customers to find success in the AI-driven era—and to thrive with the pace of innovation it brings—partnerships are more crucial than ever. By combining partner expertise with the power of SAP’s robust portfolio of cloud solutions, AI technologies, and data capabilities, customers can capitalize on this exciting moment as they transform their business.

51·çÁ÷encourages businesses to explore our ecosystem of partners today and take the next step towards business transformation, greater competitiveness, and growth.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

And that’s just the surface. We are still learning just how far reaching the implications could be in the workplace.

As we explore this new realm and AI’s vast potential, 51·çÁ÷has adjusted its strategy with the goal of becoming not only the leading enterprise application provider but also the No. 1 business AI company. The foundation is now available with 51·çÁ÷Business AI that offers 51·çÁ÷customers a reliable, relevant, and responsible AI solution portfolio.

A key element of that strategy is leveraging 51·çÁ÷partners’ expertise. The trusted relationships our partners have developed with our joint customers are essential to communicating the value of AI solutions from 51·çÁ÷and finding the best 51·çÁ÷products to meet their business objectives. It also poses a great opportunity for partners to expand their business.

But first, let’s take a step back and explore why 51·çÁ÷is best positioned to deliver on the business AI opportunity.

SAP’s AI Advantage

Deep Business Process Knowledge
Before AI can make operations faster, data-driven, and more effective, organizations must optimize business processes. 51·çÁ÷brings a deep understanding of business processes to AI applications, enabling solutions that orchestrate workflows, data sharing, and automation for the greatest efficiency and productivity.

51·çÁ÷Data
AI solutions require data to train their algorithms to provide accurate, relevant, real-world outputs. 51·çÁ÷can draw on business data from thousands of customer systems across the value chain, helping to address our customers’ challenges and drive their digital transformation.

Focus on Application Creation
51·çÁ÷is partnering with technology providers to make the most of the AI opportunity by creating value with new applications. For example, large language models (LLMs) will become solution differentiators. LLMs perform a range of natural language processing tasks. Combining LLMs with AI solutions automates insight delivery, freeing users from the need to wait for help from their IT or data science departments. It allows companies to focus on data insights, rather than devoting focus to the technology that produces them.

Strong Partner Ecosystem
51·çÁ÷recognizes that it cannot reach the full addressable market alone. That is why our more than 25,500 partner ecosystem is a huge advantage when offering business AI solutions. Working together, we can drive innovation, accelerate AI road maps, and expand AI capabilities beyond its own limitations.

I cannot underscore enough how important that fourth component is to our AI strategy. It is a linchpin to our success. That’s why we must ensure we are creating win-win scenarios for our partners that benefit us both for the long term.

Partner Opportunities

While AI offers a range of benefits to 51·çÁ÷customers, it also represents a significant business opportunity for 51·çÁ÷partners. As a part of the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem, partners can provide advanced functionality out of the box with embedded AI capabilities within 51·çÁ÷applications. They must also take advantage of the virtually endless opportunities that AI offers regardless of the chosen 51·çÁ÷partner business model:

• Sell: Partners that resell 51·çÁ÷solutions can leverage the embedded AI portfolio from 51·çÁ÷to accelerate RISE with 51·çÁ÷and GROW with 51·çÁ÷deals. Sell partners can also enhance the appeal of the cloud with AI capabilities exclusive to 51·çÁ÷cloud solutions and enlarge deals with AI units from 51·çÁ÷required for premium AI capabilities.
• Service: Service partners can drive adoption of SAP’s AI portfolio and custom AI capabilities built on 51·çÁ÷by bundling them with services and support. This approach enables customers to gain value through customized generative AI use cases built on the foundation of 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform (51·çÁ÷BTP), including the generative AI hub, and accelerate their cloud migrations and business transformation, backed by partners’ expertise.
• Innovate: Partners also have the opportunity to develop innovative AI solutions and extensions to enhance the 51·çÁ÷portfolio. Partners can build customer-specific and repeatable use cases with AI services from 51·çÁ÷on 51·çÁ÷BTP and augment customer business processes.

Take the Next Step

Ready to expand your partnership with 51·çÁ÷to build on the AI opportunity? and visit . If you’re not currently an 51·çÁ÷partner, there’s never been a better time to explore the benefits of becoming a part of the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem.

If you’re ready to start your 51·çÁ÷partnership journey and provide businesses in your market with reliable, effective AI solutions, .

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

For decades, our partners have leveraged their industry expertise and technological know-how to bring immense value to companies of all sizes. They possess a rare fusion of deep industry insights and technological expertise, which they leverage to guide businesses through the delicate process of modernization while ensuring that the essence of their identity remains intact.

We recently how they’re helping customers take better advantage of their organization’s data. Our partners have observed a significant shift in the way data is perceived and utilized. It’s no longer just a byproduct of business operations but a core asset that, when effectively distributed and made accessible, can revolutionize customer experiences and enable a more strategic, company-wide approach to decision-making.

Click the button below to load the content from YouTube.

Always allow YouTube

However, the mere availability of data is not a panacea. The crux of the matter is transforming data into actionable insights. This is where our partners excel, mapping out advanced use cases and facilitating the transition to cutting-edge platforms like 51·çÁ÷Datasphere and 51·çÁ÷Analytics Cloud. These solutions can empower organizations to evolve into entities where data is not just present but central to every action and decision.

The practical implications of data are vast and deeply rooted in the operational successes of our clients. AI, for instance, is a frontier rich with potential, but its success is inextricably linked to the quality and accessibility of data. Recognizing this, 51·çÁ÷partners are investing in building AI capabilities that can not only propel new business functions but also deliver substantial value.

Another key area of focus for our partners is the concept of a business data fabric, which is critical in developing a flexible enterprise architecture. Such an architecture allows for co-innovation and customization of solutions, ensuring that data is not just an afterthought but a driving force in business operations.

The journey toward a data- and AI-centric business model is an ongoing one, marked by evolving needs, emerging challenges, and a relentless pursuit of innovation. The ultimate aim is to convert potential into lasting business success.

The essence of our relationship with our partners is rooted in a shared vision. We are united in our pursuit of discovery, innovation, and improvement as we navigate the future together. Be sure to with our seven strategic partners and discover how the can help your company become a data-driven organization.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

SAP’s ecosystem plays a key role in our vision to enable every organization and every industry to become a network of intelligent, sustainable enterprises. Through their unique industry expertise, implementation methodologies, complementary solutions, and commitment throughout the Customer Value Journey, partners help customers thrive and succeed with SAP.

Across 26 categories in the areas of Customer Success, Intelligent Enterprise Realization, Sustainability, and Social Impact, partners are recognized for their outstanding contributions, exponential growth, and simplification. Through delivering cloud innovations that help customers achieve their goals, these partners exemplify dedication to teamwork and embody our vision for partnering excellence.

Twenty-five of the 2024 winners and finalists were selected from SAP’s wide-ranging partner base, using system-generated data on core metrics and key performance indicators. A steering committee of global 51·çÁ÷representatives reviewed, vetted, and ranked the achievements according to our internal criteria, which aligned with SAP’s communicated business strategies.

The only exception is the Social Impact category, which recognized a partner’s lasting societal impact by leveraging 51·çÁ÷innovation with concrete results. Partner nominations were evaluated and ranked by a panel of jurors consisting of 51·çÁ÷internal and third-party representatives.

Winners and finalists for all categories will receive a communication package to help them promote their success to their customers, prospects, and the media, including logos for online and physical marketing vehicles. To increase their global exposure, 51·çÁ÷will list the winners and finalists on its Web site for an entire year, in addition to running a comprehensive campaign that promotes these winners and finalists to joint prospects and customers.

Congratulations to the ! We look forward to celebrating your success at 51·çÁ÷Partner Connect and 51·çÁ÷Sapphire.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

Utilized effectively, cloud technology can be a critical enabler of organizational growth, speed, and innovation. So, what are the successful few doing differently to realize those benefits? They are empowering leaders who think strategically, mitigate risks, and seize opportunities to radically transform ways of working.

That’s why 51·çÁ÷and Bain & Company are collaborating to help executives maximize the impact of cloud-enabled ERP transformation. By bringing together solutions like RISE with 51·çÁ÷and Bain’s business-led transformation expertise, the partnership aims to enable clients to reach their business goals faster and achieve their full ERP potential.

How 51·çÁ÷and Bain Help Clients Achieve Full ERP Potential

51·çÁ÷and Bain have honed a strategic framework to drive the successful delivery of cloud-enabled ERP transformation. This framework is built on the following key pillars:

Create a Strategic Technology Vision

Bain’s long history of guiding digital modernization aligns well with SAP’s industry-leading background in technology innovation. Jointly, Bain and 51·çÁ÷will work with business leaders to help them set the right transformation vision and integrate the optimal technology and processes to achieve their business goals.

Future-Proof the Journey

RISE with 51·çÁ÷provides cloud ERP for business needs, transformation services, business analytics, and solutions from the 51·çÁ÷partner ecosystem. Bain’s proven “value-creation” methodology – focused on standardized processes and a clean core – paves the way for technology that can evolve with an enterprise over time.

Orchestrate Adoption

Significant transformations demand significant investment in program and change management. Together, Bain and 51·çÁ÷will help clients orchestrate adoption, establish effective change management, innovate solutions, scale rapidly, and provide the skills clients need to sustain success.

Putting Business Leaders at the Center of the Modernization Journey

Bain was founded 50 years ago on the principle of delivering results for clients above all else – clients who today make up 63% of the Global 500 and PE funds representing 75% of global equity capital.

In today’s world, where enterprises must change more quickly and more fundamentally than ever before, Bain’s Enterprise Technology Practice of experts understands how corporate strategy both guides and is influenced by technology. No matter the starting point, Bain’s global team of technology experts and strategists helps clients determine the technology capabilities, systems, and business transformation needed to succeed.

“ERP projects are at the heart of enterprise transformation initiatives, touching critical assets, and active C-suite engagement is vital to maximizing value,” said Scott Russell, member of the Executive Board of 51·çÁ÷SE, Customer Success. “Bain’s proven experience working with leadership teams will help us guide customers to greater, long-lasting results every single day.”

Bain’s Own Successful 51·çÁ÷Transformation Journey

For decades, Bain has helped its clients design and deliver mission-critical technology transformations. But it also knows how to walk the walk.

Working closely with 51·çÁ÷and selected ecosystem partners, Bain recently delivered its own mission-critical transformation using 51·çÁ÷S/4HANA Cloud across 47 countries. Using its proprietary approach to value acceleration, Bain has used this transformation to fundamentally change how it operates and is already reaping the benefits from standardized and automated finance processes, faster data availability, and superior real-time tracking of business performance. Bain has also used the transformation to upskill internal users and ensure they fully master the new system’s functionality.

“Our experience migrating to 51·çÁ÷S/4HANA Cloud has really emphasized the power of combining our strengths with SAP,” said Eric Garton, senior partner at Bain. “We understand the value at stake when modernizing a large system like an ERP. We know this represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the way business is done – and to set the stage for the next phase of growth. More so, the strategic framework we developed and tailored to 51·çÁ÷solutions based on client work has been invaluable. We look forward to further scaling our framework to other leading enterprises that want to realize the full value of their modernization journey with 51·çÁ÷software.”

The partnership between 51·çÁ÷and Bain is poised to guide technology leaders into the future, as they work to amplify the impact of cloud-enabled ERP transformation projects. SAP’s software expertise combined with Bain’s track record in business advisory and strategic implementation is creating ample opportunity for success, innovation, and growth, no matter how needs evolve.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.
Florian Braun is partner for Information Technology Practice at Bain.

Companies that want to manage their unique needs, embrace transformation, and streamline integration are turning to 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform (51·çÁ÷BTP). It serves as the foundational platform to help companies become connected, intelligent enterprises by bringing together 51·çÁ÷applications for database and data management, analytics, application development and integration, as well as intelligent technologies from SAP’s massive partner ecosystem.

As partners increasingly leverage the platform, 51·çÁ÷aims to ease the financial component, which is why today we launched the Pay-As-You-Go payment model for 51·çÁ÷BTP for partners. This new licensing option makes it easier to get started with 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform.

The features and benefits for partners include:

• Test, demo, and development licensing services without upfront financial commitment
• Only paying for services used, when used
• Access to the and low-priced services
• Increased flexibility on testing, demonstrating, and developing new technologies
• Quick access due to (partner only)

With 51·çÁ÷BTP, partners can move quickly to address the new cloud landscape. With this payment model, partners can have a lower barrier to create their own intellectual property (IP) on 51·çÁ÷BTP that answers specific customer needs and their specific industry knowledge. By using one platform, partners can offer their IP to many customers at once on marketplaces like , which provides additional revenue opportunities.

Ultimately, Pay-As-You-Go for 51·çÁ÷BTP helps customers, as they benefit from the broad set services as partners try, learn, develop, and implement integration and extension scenarios for SAPĚýBusiness Technology Platform.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

This presents a unique opportunity for 51·çÁ÷and our partner ecosystem to guide customers through their digital transformations. Together, we help customers remain agile by managing their business processes end-to-end in the cloud. As a result of the combined value we deliver to customers, partners and 51·çÁ÷will generate significant cloud growth and recurring revenue.

To help partners maximize this opportunity, 51·çÁ÷launched a new Partner Success organization, which will drive more proactive engagement from our partner experience managers. They will work with partners on their business plans and priorities. We continue to collect and act on partner feedback for our offering while focusing on improving partner profitability in migrating customers to the cloud.

51·çÁ÷is also introducing a new commercial offer and enhancing existing offerings to help partners drive customer success in the post-pandemic business landscape. Here are some details.

Enhancing Partner Flexibility to Support Cloud Adoption

At the beginning of the third quarter of 2021, 51·çÁ÷plans to launch 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge Cloud Choice, flex model, a new revenue share and go-to-market model that provides partners more flexibility to win cloud customers and rewards partners for driving customer adoption. The flex model splits the customer life cycle into two stages, creating opportunities to better compensate partners for delivering effective sales activities and ongoing customer engagement. We are also improving partner cash flow by paying upfront commissions for sales activities and increasing commission rates on renewals. This new model will be available in both the large enterprise and midmarket.

Identifying the Right Partner, Quickly and Easily

By the third quarter of 2021, 51·çÁ÷will roll out a new Partner Finder to provide greater exposure for partners. This will feature a simple, intuitive, and visual search function for customers to identify the right partner for a specific business or industry without needing an in-depth knowledge of 51·çÁ÷technology or the ecosystem.

Customers will enjoy a more seamless experience that includes the possibility for partners to provide direct links to and . On the main page, customers can also learn more about available 51·çÁ÷solutions and certified consultants and even ask the partners to be contacted, which will be a new source of demand generation for our partners. At the end of May, partners will receive an invitation to access the new partner profile editor to maintain their profile in the new Partner Finder, which they will need to complete to be visible to customers and prospects.

Highlighting Partner Contributions to Customer Success

We are likewise transforming the annual 51·çÁ÷Pinnacle Award program to align to our strategy and priorities for creating customer value in the cloud. We will publicly recognize those partners that have delivered superior customer value in close collaboration with 51·çÁ÷and provide partners with the means to market this achievement accordingly. Customers that want to work with the best of the best in the ecosystem will be able to immediately recognize the partner for unique and outstanding contributions to customer success.

Partner-Led Customer Success Through 51·çÁ÷BTP and Industry Cloud

51·çÁ÷aims to foster a best-in-class ecosystem that delivers outstanding cloud implementations to drive customer outcomes and innovation. To achieve this, 51·çÁ÷is investing significantly to train and educate partner consultants and developers with the most relevant and up-to-date learning content so they can develop solutions on (51·çÁ÷BTP).

With this additional training, 51·çÁ÷partners will be prepared to develop industry cloud offerings, combining partner-built solutions and innovations with integration services, industry content, accelerators, and industry reference architectures. With 51·çÁ÷BTP as its foundation, SAP’s industry cloud helps deliver lower costs for software innovation and faster time to innovation.

As more partners developing on 51·çÁ÷technologies, we can help customers improve their integrated end-to-end business processes and run apps and data on a unified platform.

According to a commissioned by SAP, partners can expect to close between 50% and 150% more deals in their first year, when compared to a similar solution, using a process model and integration technology within SAP’s industry cloud, in addition to selling bigger deals, closing deals faster, extending contract durations, and improving margins by leveraging 51·çÁ÷BTP.

51·çÁ÷is also committed to helping ensure that affordable training accompanies the release of new cloud updates and solutions. 51·çÁ÷is investing to help partners increase their SAP-certified consultants. In total, we aim to grow to 150,000 trained and certified 51·çÁ÷consultants within the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem by the end of 2021.

Empowering Partner Sales Success with New Test and Demo Opportunities

Since June 2020, 51·çÁ÷has provided partners with free access to 51·çÁ÷Partner Demo Environment, shared option. This integrated, pre-configured software demonstration environment expedites sales conversations. 51·çÁ÷is steadily expanding live demo offerings – with more than 50 live scenarios to date – to help partners position the value of the Intelligent Enterprise vision, including 51·çÁ÷BTP, RISE with SAP, and industry cloud.

Additionally, the 51·çÁ÷Demo Store site has been expanded and offers partners more than 430 demo scenarios. 51·çÁ÷is also offering partners further price reductions for additional core cloud solutions. Since January 2021, we have offered reduced subscription fees for dedicated test, demo, and development systems of RISE with SAP, 51·çÁ÷Digital Supply Chain solutions, and the the database and data management and HR and people management portfolios. Reduced pricing on other cloud solutions is planned for later this year.

Delivering New 51·çÁ÷for Me Dashboards

is quickly becoming the single point of access for partners to get key actionable insights and data in a digital format. We extended the scope of and added new dashboards and functionalities for 51·çÁ÷PartnerEdge program members. This includes dynamic cards that sales professionals can use to facilitate end-to-end deal execution and that partner contacts can use to have a partner-level view of 51·çÁ÷certifications and partnership insights.

Before the end of the year, partners will have access to additional insights, such as customer project information, a partner solutions dashboard, and cloud product adoption and renewals. This will give partners a complete overview of their customers’ information and relationship with SAP.

I look forward to a gradually improving global demand in the second half of 2021 and am confident that the initiatives and opportunities we are creating for our partners will enhance the experience of both partners and customers and drive success — now and in the future.

Additional Reading

• 51·çÁ÷Ecosystem and 51·çÁ÷Business Technology Platform: Delivering the Intelligent Enterprise for Customers, by Juergen Mueller, chief technology officer and member of the Executive Board ofĚý 51·çÁ÷SE
• How Partners Enable Customer Success Through a Unified Technology Platform, by Jagdish Sahasrabudhe, CTO of the Global Partner Organization at SAP

Learn more on how to partner with 51·çÁ÷at and . Existing partners can find details on .

Karl Fahrbach is global partner officer at SAP.

Introduced last month during our What’s Next webinar, the study, “Partner Opportunity in a Changing World,” explores how the 51·çÁ÷partner ecosystem is responding to the new normal, which seems to change by the day. Among the key takeaways: revenue expanding to $260 billion by 2024 — nearly doubling this year’s total — and job growth increasing from 1 million to 1.6 million workers by 2024.

The study also predicted that partner revenue growth from 51·çÁ÷cloud solutions will outpace revenue from on-premise deployments. It is a pivotal opportunity for partners. For customers, it’s all about bottom-line value in a remarkable time of need.

Digital transformation is obviously accelerating at an exponential rate in response to work-from-home initiatives. Companies naturally seek the flexibility of cloud-based solutions. Those that have already started their digital transformation journeys are better prepared for resilience. Others find themselves in catch-up mode.

Partners must be especially adaptable and responsive as paradigms continue to shift, delivering unique guidance and capabilities for the new normal that resonate with customers. “” sheds new light on how to capitalize on this opportunity. During the event, John Scola, global vice president of GTM Cloud Channels at SAP, and Steve White, program vice president of Channels and Alliances at IDC, explained how there is more opportunity than ever in the 51·çÁ÷partner ecosystem.

Continuous Change, Remarkable Opportunity

IDC’s analysis demonstrates how 51·çÁ÷specifically supports partnership expansion in the Intelligent Enterprise, bolstered by a strong business technology platform. As we look to the future, however that may be defined and redefined, 51·çÁ÷will continue to set up every partner for success and resilience. This commitment manifests in many ways, including by doing whatever it takes to help partners navigate today’s unprecedented challenges.

Cases in Point

enhanced its integrated employee health and safety compliance tool, built on 51·çÁ÷Cloud Platform, to enable COVID-19 traceability and preventative safety measures across organizational levels — from incidents, environmental factors, locations, and new policy implementations. Sodales customer used this tool to adjust the operations of its manufacturing facilities to produce personal protective equipment. Thanks to Sodales, Woodbridge was able to effectively ensure all employees received regularly updated health and safety policies.

51·çÁ÷partners also supported . to implement the 51·çÁ÷S/4HANA Cloud solution. Elitesland immediately put the innovation to work, both for itself and a local building materials company in Shanghai looking to upgrade operations. With real-time insights from 51·çÁ÷and Elitesland, the customer was able to make deliveries faster and more efficiently, a capability that subsequently led to a contract creating mobile hospitals for new COVID-19 patients in Shanghai earlier this year.

Honed and Ready

Customer success is a moving target. As we start to turn our attention to 2021 with guarded optimism, it will be imperative for 51·çÁ÷partners to invest in continuous customer engagement in the cloud. By helping them identify and chart their course to success, building the innovation they seek and accelerating time to value, partners can consistently reinforce their value and stay relevant.

51·çÁ÷has created new offerings to give partners a timely edge. This includes the LACE (Land, Adopt, Consume, Expand) operating model as a go-to-market strategy; shared partner demos as a free, integrated environment for customers; and learning journey support and learning content on . Through these initiatives, 51·çÁ÷enables partners with the tools they need to deliver the knowledge and quality customers expect.

Keys to success for 51·çÁ÷partners in this new normal will be building and maintaining trust, staying informed, and fostering professional development for unsurpassed excellence. It’s the foundation for thriving, not just surviving. By helping customers to truly become intelligent enterprises, all 51·çÁ÷partners are ultimately primed to prevail.

To learn more about what’s next for the 51·çÁ÷partner ecosystem, watch the replay of our recent event at the and visit the .

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.