Dive Brief:
- Intel and SAP struck a multiyear partnership aimed at optimizing Intel’s Xeon Scalable processors and Optane DC persistent memory for its use in SAP’s enterprise software applications, including SAP S/4HANA, the companies announced Thursday.
- The partnership will let SAP "accelerate customers' move to SAP S/4HANA" by allowing increased "visibility, focus and agility" when deploying data-driven applications, said Irfan Khan, president of platform and technologies at SAP, in a blog post announcing the partnership.
- SAP declined to disclosed financial terms from the deal. It was announced the same day as the company's Q2 earnings report, which missed analysts estimates and caused share price to drop about 5%.
Dive Insight:
The deal between Intel and SAP highlights how much partnerships matter to the software company's future, as it continues to move deeper into fields like data analytics, internet of things and artificial intelligence.
On Monday, SAP doubled down on the value of partnerships and cloud interoperability, and the growth they could bring to its enterprise software business.
With rising interest from clients in hyperscale cloud providers, like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, SAP is working to make sure its software has the reference architecture users need to leverage those services, said Peter Maier, global co-president of SAP Industries, speaking at the company's Analyst Base Camp this week.
In this context, the Intel partnership could mean a smoother transition for users looking to deploy SAP's ERP software, by lowering the complexity and risk of running real-time in-memory applications.
It fits into the company's "Intelligent Enterprise" concept, which promises users access to industry-specific insights through the analysis of experience and operational data.
