bigger step than the one taken to move from mainframes to a
client-server architecture years ago?
Kagermann: Yes. This is a bigger step--because the other one was more
a technology step, where you rewrite some of the application, but then
they run as they did before. But SOA is really about how you build an
application. It has nothing to do with the hardware underneath it.
Therefore, the switch is tougher and if you apply some of these new
concepts, you are never sure if it's really working, if it's not too
slow, all of those things, all of those risks you have.
What about your customer base? How far along are they in moving to a
services architecture?
Kagermann: Well, the customer base has to do a lot. I think there has
been some introduction in the customer base. But I believe the first
big wave will come this year.
SAP has been, more or less, the first company bringing those
applications to the market. The first was last year with ERP 2004, but
we had no services in. With ERP 2005, we now have over 500 services,
so now you can really say this is ERP on a services architecture. Over
time, you can imagine that we will have 1,000 or 1,500 services. But
with 500, you can already do a lot.
I think customers now see that this is a step where it makes sense to
switch from client-server, because they already, with these services,
have 70 percent of what they need and the rest comes in smaller
chunks, so it's worth doing it.
Are there certain types of companies that are more likely to be moving
to a services architecture sooner? Such as telecom or financial
services companies?
Kagermann: Yeah. It's more popular in companies that have less
packaged software, like financial services companies. But we do
something different. We are not just bringing a services-oriented
architecture to the market which helps companies to connect their
various legacy systems, which is sometimes the IBM approach. Our case
is to also rewrite the applications, which is a significant step.
So for SAP, a services architecture isn't just an integration strategy?
Kagermann: No, it's a re-architecture of the software. Software which
is designed this way looks different internally. Flexibility is part
of the design. >>
You can read this interesting interview in full at:
http://techrepublic.com.com/2008-7343_11-6074296.html?tag=nl.e019
Gervas
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