Cloud Computing 101 - Hexagonal Clustering

Hexagon clustering is a technique to process geospatial data for identifying and visualizing things such as escape routes that avoid hazards in emergency situations or the optimal paths for utility pipelines that avoid restricted areas.

Developers can use it easily in new applications and combine it with other SQL predicates. Nobody other solution besides SAP HANA offers this capability, and it is laborious to implement it in other relational databases using the basic geospatial functions.

Why supporting Hexagonal clustering is important for SAP HANA customers? It allows to represent curvatures and is ideal for showing path connectivity or movement. It is extremely useful for all spatial data processing in all industries.

Real-World Examples: 

• Rescue management: finding evacuation paths and identifying evacuation zones. For example in case of a wildfire, you need to guide people from A to B, avoiding fire zones
• Trafficability: moving a battalion of tanks from A to B, without crossing risky muddy areas and woods.
• Utility grid planning: finding the right path for a new gas pipe, but you can't go underneath building, need to avoid protected lands and going over costly roads or rails.

Hexagonal clustering is a better way of getting insights from relational spatial data.  It assign geometries within free definable area to the identified hexagonal pattern. Using hexagon grids reduce sampling bias due to edge effects of the grid shape.

How SAP HANA uniquely supports Hexagonal clustering?
SAP HANA is the only database that offers Hexagonal clustering out of the box. 

SAP HANA clusters geocoordinates in a free definable area in an over-spanning grid of clusters in one SQL query. This can be combined with many other SQL features without coding (e.g. count(*), ST_UnionAggr, ST_Centroid, ST_Enveloper, …)) and runs on millions of coordinates in seconds.
Hexagonal clustering leverages SAP HANA spatial and graph capabilities.

Other exciting innovations to SAP HANA core spatial capability include:

• Memory footprint reduction by a factor 2 - To innovate faster and at a lower cost
• Open source support - SAP expanded support for geotools and geoserver: customers can now use free GIS systems instead of commercial GIS systems, expanding to new markets & targeting open source community. This is important and many GIS users prefer open source rather than commercial systems

Approyo CEO Chris Carter to speak at the 2019 CloudEXPO

We are excited to announce that Approyo CEO, Chris Carter will be speaking on Wednesday, June 26 at the CloudEXPO in Silicon Valley. Chris's session, The Growth of Cloud Usage in the ERP World, will dive deep into the enterprise cloud computing world.

The Growth of Cloud Usage in the ERP World
GCP, Azure and AWS are dominating the "cloud" world, well now they are attacking the Enterprise with partnerships with SAP. Learn how and why these cloud firms see the enterprise ripe for the attack.

Wednesday, June 26, 4:20pm - 4:55pm
Register: https://sched.co/K6Ut

About the Cloud Expo
Now is the time for a truly global DX event, to bring together the leading minds from the technology world in a conversation about Digital Transformation. DX encompasses the continuing technology revolution, and is addressing society's most important issues throughout the entire $78 trillion 21st-century global economy.

DXWorldEXPO® has organized these issues along 10 tracks, 22 keynotes and general sessions, and a faculty of 222 of the world's top speakers.
DXWorldEXPO® has three major themes on its conference agenda:

Technology - The Revolution Continues
Economy - The 21st Century Emerges
Society - The Big Issues

Global 2000 companies have more than US$40 trillion in annual revenue - more than 50% of the world's entire GDP. The Global 2000 spends a total of US$2.4 trillion annually on enterprise IT. The average Global 2000 company has US$11 billion in annual revenue. The average Global 2000 company spends more than $600 million annually on enterprise IT. Governments throughout the world spend another US$500 billion on IT - much of it dedicated to new Smart City initiatives.

For the past 10 years CloudEXPO® helped drive the migration to modern enterprise IT infrastructures, built upon the foundation of cloud computing. Today's hybrid, multiple cloud IT infrastructures integrate Big Data, analytics, blockchain, the IoT, mobile devices, and the latest in cryptography and enterprise-grade security.

Digital Transformation is the key issue driving the global enterprise IT business. DX is most prominent among Global 2000 enterprises and government institutions.

Major Benefits of Cloud Computing in 2019

There’s no question that cloud technology is redefining the way we do business, including the sharing, storing, and accessing of data to remote locations. The benefits of moving to the cloud far outweigh any disadvantages. By enabling you to boost organizational efficiency, the cloud helps you run your business more smoothly. The availability of all the resources on demand also substantially reduces your IT costs, allowing you to allocate funds to where you need them more.

Scalability
Cloud solutions can support your ever-changing requirements by enabling you to scale resources quickly and efficiently. You can upgrade your storage or bandwidth plans at any point simply by changing your subscription plan. The pay-per-use option is probably the greatest advantage of the cloud, and the cost transparency makes for reliable planning.

This scalability minimizes the risks associated with in-house operational issues and maintenance. You have high-performance resources at your disposal with professional solutions and zero up-front investment.

Not only are your cloud services scalable, but your business can scale as well with the increased flexibility your cloud services provide. You can allocate funding to other growth opportunities and create efficiencies in areas you have thus far been unable to tackle.

Automated Updates 
In cloud computing, the server suppliers regularly update your software including the updates on security, so that you do not need to agonize on wasting your crucial time on maintaining the system. This will enable your IT team to work on business critical issues to help grow your business.

Security
Security is foremost one of the benefits of cloud computing that guarantee data integrity. A cloud service provider should offer a platform designed with strict security measures. The provider must ensure that servers storing your files are well managed to prevent data theft.

Security features for offline computers are more expensive to get when compared to those of a cloud-hosted platform. Note that data in the cloud is as vulnerable as data on offline computer systems. However, the cloud appears to be safer than offline computers since most cloud service providers fix bugs as soon as they’re detected.

Cloud infrastructure has hundreds of people managing data while offline computers only rely on an individual or team to install the security features.

Collaboration
When your team can access documents anytime, anywhere, they can collaborate more efficiently. Your workflow improves because your employees have the flexibility to edit and share documents when it is convenient. That is not to say that coming into the office is not important; however, you maintain a competitive edge by giving your employees more of a work/life balance.

This increased collaboration on a cloud platform facilitates virtual work all over the world among your employees and your clients. It can reduce time-to-market and improve product development and customer service.

The cloud makes running your business simpler by allowing you to track documents without having to worry about USB drives or other pieces of equipment.

Flexibility
Flexibility covers a wide array of solutions. From storage space to bandwidth flexibility, your business must assess its needs and see how the cloud can meet them.

One of the immediate business advantages that cloud solutions offer in this respect is the increased flexibility of both in-house and remote employees. Document storage in the public cloud allows employees to collaborate more efficiently and work on any platform. Any web-enabled device can access cloud-based tools, which is especially useful for mobile or remote workforces. Your employees can work at any time and in any time zone without restriction.

The flexibility of server loads is another advantage of adopting cloud. You can choose to turn up capacity when you expect more traffic to your site and turn it back down when you don’t need as much. The accelerated implementation streamlines your processes, creating increased accessibility and decreasing your reliance on local hardware or software.

Read the full post on www.approyo.com

SAP Releases Q4 and 2018 Results

SAP Announces Preliminary Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Results on www.sap.com. The results continue to show growth for SAP HANA and SAP S/4HANA. This growth mirrors Approyo's growth and accolades throughout 2019 and align with our vision as the premier SAP Platform as a service partner.

SAP Hits or Exceeds All Raised Outlook Metrics - Targets More Than 3x Cloud Revenue by 2023

• Cloud Subscription and Support Revenue Up 32% (IFRS) and Up 38% (Non-IFRS at Constant Currencies)  in FY 2018 
• Cloud Backlog Increased 30%, Exceeding €10 Billion at Year-End  
• Cloud and Software Revenue Up 5% (IFRS) and Up 10% (Non-IFRS at Constant Currencies) in FY 2018
• Cloud and Software Order Entry Exceeds €10 Billion, Up 14% at Constant Currencies in FY 2018
• Operating Profit Up 17% (IFRS) and Up 10% (Non-IFRS at Constant Currencies) in FY 2018  
• Guiding for Up to 39% Non-IFRS Cloud Subscription and Support Revenue Growth and Up to 10% Non-IFRS Cloud and Software Revenue Growth in 2019 at Constant Currencies  
• Guiding for Up to 11.5% Non-IFRS Operating Profit Growth in 2019 at Constant Currencies – Faster Than  Total Revenue Growth
• Targeting More Than €35 Billion in Total Revenue by 2023 

Full Year 2018 Highlights:
Even after multiple guidance raises during the year SAP met or exceeded all of its 2018 outlook metrics.

For the full year new cloud bookings were €1.81 billion, up 25% (up 28% at constant currencies). Cloud subscriptions and support backlog increased 30%, reaching €10 billion at year-end. Cloud subscriptions and support revenue was €4.99 billion (IFRS) or €5.21 billion (non-IFRS at constant currencies), achieving the full year outlook (€5.15 to €5.25 billion non-IFRS at constant currencies). Software revenue decreased 5 % year over year to €4.65 billion (IFRS), flat year over year (non-IFRS at constant currencies). New cloud and software license order entry exceeded €10 billion and grew by 14% at constant currencies year over year in the full year. Cloud and software revenue was €20.62 billion (IFRS) or €21.58 billion (non-IFRS at constant currencies), exceeding the full year outlook (€21.15 to €21.35 billion non-IFRS at constant currencies). Total revenue was €24.71 billion (IFRS) or €25.96 billion (non-IFRS at constant currencies), exceeding the full year outlook (€25.20 to €25.50 billion non-IFRS at constant currencies).

SAP’s rapidly expanding cloud business together with solid growth in support revenue continued to drive the share of more predictable revenue. The total of non-IFRS cloud subscriptions & support revenue and non-IFRS software support revenue was 65% of non-IFRS total revenue for the full year 2018, up 2 percentage points.

For the full year, operating profit was €5.71 billion (IFRS) or €7.48 billion (non-IFRS at constant currencies), achieving the full year outlook (€7.425 to €7.525 billion non-IFRS at constant currencies). Earnings per share increased 2% to €3.42 (IFRS) and decreased 2% to €4.35 (non-IFRS).

Operating cash flow for the full year was €4.30 billion, a decrease of 15% year over year. Free cash flow decreased 25% year over year to €2.84 billion. At year end, net liquidity was –€2.49 billion.

Fourth Quarter 2018 highlights
In the fourth quarter, new cloud bookings were €736 million, up 25% (23% at constant currencies). Cloud subscriptions and support revenue grew 41% year over year to €1.41 billion (IFRS), up 40% (non-IFRS at constant currencies). Software revenue grew 1% year over year to €2.09 billion (IFRS), up 8% (non-IFRS at constant currencies). New cloud and software license order entry grew 18% at constant currencies year over year. Cloud and software revenue grew 9% year over year to €6.32 billion (IFRS), up 11% (non-IFRS at constant currencies). Total revenue grew 9% year over year to €7.43 billion (IFRS), up 13% (non-IFRS at constant currencies).

In the fourth quarter operating profit increased by 22% year over year to €2.40 billion (IFRS), up 8% (non-IFRS at constant currencies). Earnings per share decreased 8% to €1.41 (IFRS) and decreased 15% to €1.51 (non-IFRS).

SAP S/4HANA
SAP S/4HANA is at the core of the Intelligent Enterprise. With S/4HANA, customers automate more and more of their business processes enabling employees to focus on higher-value tasks. It detects patterns, predicts outcomes and suggests actions empowering companies across all industries to reinvent their business models for the digital economy.

S/4HANA adoption grew to approximately 10,500 customers, up 33% year over year. In the fourth quarter, more than 40% of the additional S/4HANA customers were net new.

Business Outlook 2019 
Reflecting SAP’s strong cloud and overall business momentum as well as the Qualtrics acquisition with a January 23rd, 2019 closing date, the Company is providing the following 2019 outlook:

• Non-IFRS cloud subscriptions and support revenue is expected to be in a range of €6.7 − €7.0 billion at constant currencies (2018: €5.03 billion), up 33% – 39% at constant currencies.  
• Non-IFRS cloud and software revenue is expected to be in a range of €22.4 – €22.7 billion at constant currencies (2018: €20.66 billion), up 8.5% – 10% at constant currencies.  
• Non-IFRS operating profit is expected to be in a range of €7.7 – €8.0 billion at constant currencies (2018: €7.16 billion), up 7.5% – 11.5% at constant currencies.  
• In addition, SAP expects total revenues to increase strongly, at a rate slightly lower than operating profit.
• The comparative numbers for 2018 do not include Qualtrics. Callidus revenue and profits are included in the comparative numbers from the April 5th, 2018 acquisition close date. 
• While SAP’s full-year 2019 business outlook is at constant currencies, actual currency reported figures are expected to be impacted by currency exchange rate fluctuations as the Company progresses through the year. 

Read the full results: https://www.sap.com/docs/download/investors/2018/sap-2018-q4-statement.pdf

Cloud Computing 101: Digital Twins

Digital Twins is a concept that has been around for decades, but has recently become a hot topic in the technology world. It is most popular in the Healthcare, Automotive and Manufacturing industry and the growth of IoT is one of the reasons that the digital twin concept is becoming a reality for some many businesses. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object or system – but it is much more than a high-tech lookalike. Digital twins use data, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to help companies optimize, innovate, and deliver new services.

At its simplest, a digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical product, process, or system. Digital twins act as a bridge between physical and digital worlds by using sensors to collect real-time data about a physical item. This data is then used to create a digital duplicate of the item, allowing it to be understood, analyzed, manipulated, or optimized. Other terms used to describe digital twin technology over the years have included virtual prototyping, hybrid twin technology, virtual twin, and digital asset management.

SAP and Digital Twins

The network of digital twins institutes a real-time single source of truth – everywhere. It creates real-time, secure communications and a collaborative environment within the business while encompassing relevant external networks. The network includes not only the digital representation of the physical product or asset, but also the commercialization aspects represented by the ERP business system of record.

According to SAP, Digital Twins must have the following characteristics:

• Identity – a digital twin represents a single, unique physical asset; though we would prefer a 1-to-1 cardinality between asset and twin, business outcome considerations may imply a 1-to-N cardinality, each describing a different dimension; the digital twin can be instantiated at the creation (e.g. engineering, production, configuration, installation) and lasts until the asset is retired (or beyond if historic data is required)
• Representation – capturing the essential physical manifestation of the real asset in a digital format, typically using formats such as CAD, MES, or engineering models with corresponding metadata and classifications; traceability between digital twin and physical object is ensured through serialization
• State and events – reflecting real asset state (e.g. condition, location, speed, environment) in (near) real time providing information on properties that describe various aspects that the digital twin is built for; the digital twin triggers alerts and events on behalf of the object; historic state is typically recorded
• Context – describing operating context such as physical installation, ownership, reference to financial or asset management information, roles and business partner involved, service level agreements, service work performed on the asset
• Interaction – all properties above must be securely and digitally queried in a software system by other systems (via APIs) or users 

Because it manages and controls extensive variability in product and asset configurations, the digital twin of one becomes the true single source of truth. It bonds the  unique digital design of every product or asset to its  physical representation throughout the lifecycle. Companies can then address product individualization; accelerate time to market; provide a mechanism for the delivery of new business models; and ensure effective, timely performance of asset maintenance and repair. Furthermore, the network of digital twins that monitors distributed assets enables collaboration with partners  when managing assets as a service or engages suppliers  when defining part and assembly requirements and enhancing change management.

The approach combines digital twins with manufacturing solutions from SAP, cloud networks  and SAP Leonardo capabilities, including machine learning, blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT), to optimize the product lifecycle with:

• Digital representation: SAP synchronizes digital twin business data, product information, asset master data and IoT-connected data from both on-premise and cloud solutions enabling companies to represent the world digitally. Solutions including SAP Predictive Engineering Insights, SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service and the SAP 3D Visual Enterprise applications provide access to  rich data processing capabilities and live configuration, state, condition and control information.
• Business process: Rich enterprise-grade data processing capabilities allow customers to create, access and update digital twins to support business processes. SAP solutions provide an integrated data model from design, production and maintenance to service, including packaged integration to existing systems for computer-aided design, ERP, and product lifecycle management. Offerings providing end-to-end process support for manufacturers and operators include SAP S/4HANA, the SAP Engineering Control Center integration tool, SAP Hybris Service Cloud solutions, and  the SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence and  SAP Manufacturing Execution applications.
• Business networks: With leading network offerings such as SAP Ariba solutions, SAP Asset Intelligence Network, and the SAP Distributed Manufacturing application, SAP is uniquely positioned to provide a virtual platform for collaboration on products and assets. The network of digital twins enables secure data access, sharing and governance on a global scale.
• Networks of digital representation: SAP enables  twin-to-twin connections in systems within a specific  asset and on an asset-to-asset level. SAP solutions such  as SAP Asset Intelligence Network provide semantic and industry-standards support in an asset core modeling environment to enable live enrichment during the product or asset lifecycle.

View the blog post on www.approyo.com

The approach combines digital twins with manufacturing solutions from SAP, cloud networks  and SAP Leonardo capabilities, including machine learning, blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT), to optimize the product lifecycle with:

• Digital representation: SAP synchronizes digital twin business data, product information, asset master data and IoT-connected data from both on-premise and cloud solutions enabling companies to represent the world digitally. Solutions including SAP Predictive Engineering Insights, SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service and the SAP 3D Visual Enterprise applications provide access to  rich data processing capabilities and live configuration, state, condition and control information.
• Business process: Rich enterprise-grade data processing capabilities allow customers to create, access and update digital twins to support business processes. SAP solutions provide an integrated data model from design, production and maintenance to service, including packaged integration to existing systems for computer-aided design, ERP, and product lifecycle management. Offerings providing end-to-end process support for manufacturers and operators include SAP S/4HANA, the SAP Engineering Control Center integration tool, SAP Hybris Service Cloud solutions, and  the SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence and  SAP Manufacturing Execution applications.
• Business networks: With leading network offerings such as SAP Ariba solutions, SAP Asset Intelligence Network, and the SAP Distributed Manufacturing application, SAP is uniquely positioned to provide a virtual platform for collaboration on products and assets. The network of digital twins enables secure data access, sharing and governance on a global scale.
• Networks of digital representation: SAP enables  twin-to-twin connections in systems within a specific  asset and on an asset-to-asset level. SAP solutions such  as SAP Asset Intelligence Network provide semantic and industry-standards support in an asset core modeling environment to enable live enrichment during the product or asset lifecycle.

View the blog post on www.approyo.com

Approyo named one of the "Best Entrepreneurial Companies In America" by Entrepreneur Magazine's Entrepreneur360 List

Approyo was recently recognized as one of the “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” by Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur360™ List, a premier study delivering the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. Based on this study forged by Entrepreneur, Approyo is recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth leadership and value.

“It is honor to be recognized by Entrepreneur magazine,” says Chris Carter, CEO of Approyo. “2018 has been a great year of growth for the team at Approyo and this recognition further validities our success in the SAP ecosystem. Thank you to our team, partners and customers.”

“Our annual evaluation of vetted data offers a 360-degree analysis of top privately-held companies across a multitude of industries,” explains Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine. “They are deemed successful not only by revenue numbers, but by how well-rounded they are. The companies that make the list have pushed boundaries with their innovative ideas, fostered strong company cultures, impacted their communities for the better, and increased their brand awareness.”

Honorees were identified based on the results from a comprehensive study of independently owned companies, using a proprietary algorithm and other advanced analytics. The algorithm was built on a balanced scorecard designed to measure five metrics reflecting major pillars of entrepreneurship — innovation, growth, leadership, impact and business valuation.

For additional details on the E360 List and the companies recognized, visit: entrepreneur.com/360

ABOUT ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA INC.
For 41 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community by providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com, GreenEntrepreneur.com and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide.

View the full announcement on www.approyo.com

Cloud Computing 101 – Types of Cloud

Cloud computing helps businesses to be more efficient and save on software and hardware that are important for different operations. The definition of cloud computing varies depending on your source but what is generally agreed is that it involves access of software or hardware that are in the “cloud” i.e. use of software or hardware remotely. If your company is using specialized applications where you did not have to set up server or buy hardware or software to run them, then you are probably using a cloud application.

Companies can use cloud computing to increase their IT functionality or capacity without having to add software, personnel, invest in additional training or set up new infrastructure.

Public Cloud
Public clouds are the most common way of deploying cloud computing. The cloud resources (like servers and storage) are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service provider and delivered over the Internet. Microsoft Azure or the Google Cloud are examples of a public cloud. With a public cloud, all hardware, software, and other supporting infrastructure is owned and managed by the cloud provider. In a public cloud, you share the same hardware, storage, and network devices with other organizations or cloud “tenants.” You access services and manage your account using a web browser. Public cloud deployments are frequently used to provide web-based email, online office applications, storage, and testing and development environments.

Private Cloud
A private cloud consists of computing resources used exclusively by one business or organization. The private cloud can be physically located at your organization’s on-site datacenter, or it can be hosted by a third-party service provider. But in a private cloud, the services and infrastructure are always maintained on a private network and the hardware and software are dedicated solely to your organization. In this way, a private cloud can make it easier for an organization to customize its resources to meet specific IT requirements. Private clouds are often used by government agencies, financial institutions, any other mid- to large-size organizations with business-critical operations seeking enhanced control over their environment.

Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid clouds combine on-premises infrastructure, or private clouds, with public clouds so organizations can reap the advantages of both. In a hybrid cloud, data and applications can move between private and public clouds for greater flexibility and more deployment options. For instance, you can use the public cloud for high-volume, lower-security needs such as web-based email, and the private cloud (or other on-premises infrastructure) for sensitive, business-critical operations like financial reporting. In a hybrid cloud, “cloud bursting” is also an option. This is when an application or resource runs in the private cloud until there is a spike in demand (such as seasonal event like online shopping or tax filing), at which point the organization can “burst through” to the public cloud to tap into additional computing resources.

Community Clouds
Community clouds are a recent variation on the private cloud model that provide a complete cloud solution for specific business communities. Businesses share infrastructure provided by the Cloud Service Provider for software and development tools that are designed to meet community needs. In addition, each business has its own private cloud space that is built to meet the security, privacy and compliance needs that are common in the community.

Community clouds are an attractive option for companies in the health, financial or legal spheres that are subject to strict regulatory compliance. They are also well-suited to managing joint projects that benefit from sharing community-specific software applications or development platforms.

Read the full post on www.approyo.com

Approyo named one of The 10 Most Successful Companies to Watch 2018 by Insights Success

Approyo is honored to announce that it has been selected among The 10 Most Successful Companies to Watch 2018 by Insights Success Magazine.

Insights Success is a platform that focuses distinctively on emerging as well as leading companies, their confrontational style of doing business and way of delivering effective and collaborative solutions to strengthen market share. This magazine talks about leaders and orators from the world of technology, which includes CEO’s, CIO’s, VP’s, Managers and other professionals who had set a benchmark in the revolution of the industry.

"Upon review of the 2018 nominees of The 10 Most Successful Companies to Watch 2018, and going through various factors such as technological utilization, strategic focus and global footprint, Approyo stood out with its customized cloud environment that has surged the company ahead to be recognized as a leading global SAP HANA technology solution provider.” mentions the Editor-in-Chief of Insights Success Magazine, Pooja M. Bansal.

“We are honored to be part of this great list of companies" said Christopher Carter, CEO of Approyo. "This achievement continues to validate our success in the SAP marketplace.”

The magazine spotlights companies that provide leading, effective and groundbreaking technologies. For the full article, please visit Insights Success.

About Insights Success
Insights Success is a forum where top leaders and executives talk and share about their experiences, views, and mantra for success which will help the young and dynamic bloodline of professionals to learn, cater and deliver business needs for customers in order to become futuristic market leaders.

The Cloud Helpers Blog Series - Platform as a Service

Welcome to our blog series, The Cloud Helpers. This series focuses on cloud computing topics and helps you understand how the cloud can impact your business today and in the future. Today we are going to focus on one on the definition of Platform as a Service or PaaS.

What is Paas?

Platform as a service (PaaS) is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable you to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated, cloud-enabled enterprise applications. You purchase the resources you need from a cloud service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis and access them over a secure Internet connection.

PaaS includes infrastructure—servers, storage, and networking—but also middleware, development tools, business intelligence (BI) services, database management systems, and more. PaaS is designed to support the complete web application lifecycle: building, testing, deploying, managing, and updating.

PaaS allows you to avoid the expense and complexity of buying and managing software licenses, the underlying application infrastructure and middleware or the development tools and other resources. You manage the applications and services you develop, and the cloud service provider typically manages everything else.

Advantages of PaaS

• DON’T HAVE TO INVEST IN PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE - Being able to ‘rent’ virtual infrastructure has both cost benefits and practical benefits. They don’t need to purchase hardware themselves or employ the expertise to manage it.
• MAKES DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE FOR ‘NON-EXPERTS’ - With some PaaS offerings anyone can develop an application, simply through their web browser utilising one-click functionality.
• SECURITY - Security is provided, including data security and backup and recovery
• TEAMS IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER - Using the internet, developers spread across several locations can work together on the same application build.
• FLEXIBILITY - Customers have control over the tools that are installed within their platforms and can create a platform that suits their specific requirements.
• ADAPTABILITY - Features can be changed if circumstances dictate that they should.

PaaS vs. SaaS vs. IaaS
PaaS is one of three main categories of cloud computing services. The other two are software as a service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).

With IaaS, a provider supplies the basic compute, storage and networking infrastructure along with the hypervisor (the virtualization layer). Users must then create virtual machines, install operating systems, support applications and data, and handle all of the configuration and management associated with those tasks.

With PaaS, a provider offers more of the application stack than IaaS providers, adding operating systems, middleware (such as databases) and other runtimes into the cloud environment.

With SaaS, a provider offers an entire application stack. Users simply log in and use the application that runs completely on the provider's infrastructure.

View the complete blog post on the Approyo website

Ask Approyo: SAP ECC vs. SAP S/4HANA

One common theme we hear from customers is the confusion in the market place around SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA. In this post, we will try to clear up the confusion and explain how the two solutions relate to one another.

What is SAP ECC?
SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) is the previous generation of SAP’s enterprise resource planning software. ECC provides modules covering a full range of industry applications, including finance, logistics, HR, product planning and customer service, linked together into a single, customizable system run on a database of the user’s choice.

What is SAP S/4HANA?
SAP S/4HANA is the successor of ECC. It is a natural evolution and not just a simple upgrade. Currently, SAP S/4HANA 1709 empowers every corner of your organization to deliver business results. SAP S/4HANA is the foundation for businesses to deploy machine learning and Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios based on SAP Leonardo capabilities, unifying transactional and analytical workloads in real time and helping you stay ahead of the competition.

SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA
The route to S/4HANA is achieved either by a system conversion from an ECC solution (including Suite on HANA) or a new install. A system conversion needs to take place with the reason being to enable the new simplified data model. You need to be conscious of what functionality you have lost from your existing system as part of the move to S4/HANA in order to then replace it.

Read the full Blog Post... 

Unleash the Potential of your Business with SAP Hybris

With SAP Hybris increase productivity and customer acquisition and amplify customer satisfaction by having relevant and personalized interactions across any channel. Engage your customers in more proactive and meaningful ways by understanding what matters to them in the moment. SAP Hybris delivers rich predictive insight, flawless execution and contextual customer experience throughout your sales and service organizations.

Mobile (on- and offline)
SAP Hybris supports the three key mobile platforms (Android, iOS and Windows) and is available on mobile devices in an offline mode. That means that SAP Hybris can be used on a tablet even if there is no wireless Internet connection, thus significantly raising user efficiency!

Integration
SAP Hybris features, as standard, out-of-the-box integration. Your CRM platform can thus be easily linked to and from many major (3rd party) applications, such as social networks, SAP on-premise solutions or even ERP software from other providers.

SAP offers an extensive Microsoft Excel add-in, as well as one for Microsoft Outlook. The data is constantly synced between SAP Hybris and the Microsoft platform, so that you can choose which platform you work in (bi-directional).
With native SAP ERP and SAP CRM integration and business application mash-ups, you’re always effortlessly up-to-speed on your customers and accounts.

Future-proof
SAP Hybris will grow along with you and is kept up to date. Every quarter (February, May, August and November), SAP launches several new functionalities. Quite often, these updates are inspired by customer feedback, as users are invited to post and vote for the best ideas on SAP’s online.

Multi-everything
Multichannel, multi-vendor, multi-language is the set of core features in this application that seems to dazzle every customer that is into this product as an organization. Gartner has positioned SAP Hybris solution in its Magic Quadrant report meant for management of multichannel campaigns.

Omni Commerce Connect is yet another interesting innovation within SAP Hybris that lets businesses network with customers and clients regardless of location. All this is done while simultaneously leveraging fresh channels and touch points enabling highly efficient interaction. The channels referred to here may range from direct mail, call centers, programmatic advertising, email, social media, mobile and websites.

Download the Whitepaper... 

View the full Blog Post... 

SAP Hybris: A Game Changing Solution for your Business

Organizations are drowning in data that accumulates at an increasingly fast pace. It comes from inside and outside the company, from business transactions, the IoT, and social media interactions. It includes structured data, location information, satellite images, drone video, text files, and more.

Yet, CIOs are asked empower users and machines to analyze this new data universe in real-time as the data comes in. This means running analytics on live transaction so that the business can take Timely actions and be ahead of the competition. Decision makers also demand a complete visibility across all the company’s diverse data assets to achieve situational awareness, which
is essential to avoid the pitfalls of making decisions and devising new strategies on partial, stale or inaccurate data.

Agility/Speed of execution is essential for IT and business success, but business fundamentals still need to be respected. For example, new technology investments need to yield clear ROI and avoid exposing the company to unnecessary risks. CIOs need to ensure that they deploy technology that can adapt to changing needs and requirements. This means embracing data management technology that is modern and can easily take advantage of new innovation – such as advances in hardware (ex, GPU or nonvolatile storage). Also, everybody that browses the daily news knows that, when data is shared, corporate accountability and customer trust are also on the line. CIOs need to ensure that, once readily accessible, data is kept secure in compliance with regulations – such as GSPR – and customer privacy is preserved.

Finally, the cloud has become an essential component of every IT strategy. It provides the unprecedented ability to accelerate provisioning, it elastically scales to adapt to changing needs, and it is ubiquitously present and accessible.

But choosing a cloud strategy that can evolve with the needs of the business is essential for business success. It is paramount that a company maintains its ability to freely decide what service provider can best serve its needs, at every given moment - with no vendor lock-in that could undermine business flexibility.

Companies that can achieve these four imperatives are in a strong position to succeed in the new economy. Some studies have reported they can achieve exponential grow that up to 10X their peers. A transformative success achieved through the mastery of data management.

Enter SAP Hybris

In 1997, SAP® Hybris® was launched to create a better commerce solutions. It consistently ranks among the top commerce software platforms because of its customer engagement and multichannel e-commerce solutions with totally-integrated tools. It serves Business to Consumers and Business to Business brands belonging from industries like insurance telecommunication, financial services, manufacturing, retailing, and media.

With SAP Hybris increase productivity and customer acquisition and amplify customer satisfaction by having relevant and personalized interactions across any channel. Engage your customers in more proactive and meaningful ways by understanding what matters to them in the moment. SAP Hybris delivers rich predictive insight, flawless execution and contextual customer experience throughout your sales and service organizations.

SAP Hybris comes with various advantages with regard to e-commerce project development as given below:

• Bring sales, service, and social engagement in an integrated SaaS CRM system
• Gain a 360° view of customers to understand their needs in any given moment
• Use real-time customer analytics and predictive insight to improve interactions across all channel
• Run your business anywhere, anytime on any device with a mobile-first approach, online and offline
• Get up and running quickly and cost-effectively with subscription-based cloud solutions

Download the Whitepaper now

Read the full Blog post...

Approyo named one of the "10 Cloud Providers to Watch in 2018" by CRN

Approyo, a leading enterprise provider of cloud-centric SAP solutions, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, named Approyo one of “10 Cloud Providers to Watch in 2018” in an online editorial piece on January 4, 2018.

The editorial, written by CRN Senior Associate Editor Gina Narcisi, highlights cloud technology vendors that “have made a name for themselves by carving out a niche in the market in 2017” and which “solution providers should keep their eyes on.” The 10 companies were singled out for their innovative cloud offerings and for the “aggressive goals” they set for 2018.

Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in consulting, solutions architecture, and product procurement, in order to develop the right solution for customers. Approyo’s extensive partnerships in the industry allow us to offer top-tier SAP procurement and logistics to meet all our customers’ SAP technology needs. Approyo built an entire platform using the best solutions in the market, helping companies move to SAP HANA and SAP S/4HANA quickly and benefit immediately.

Read the full post on approyo.com

The Cloud Helpers Blog Series - In-Memory Computing

Welcome to our blog series, The Cloud Helpers. This series will focus on cloud computing topics and help you understand how the cloud can impact your business today and in the future. Today we are going to focus on In-Memory Computing.

What is In-Memory Computing?
In-memory computing is the storage of information in the main random access memory (RAM) of dedicated servers rather than in complicated relational databases operating on comparatively slow disk drives. In-memory computing helps business customers, including retailers, banks and utilities, to quickly detect patterns, analyze massive data volumes on the fly, and perform their operations quickly. The drop in memory prices in the present market is a major factor contributing to the increasing popularity of in-memory computing technology. This has made in-memory computing economical among a wide variety of applications.

SAP HANA and In-Memory Computing
SAP HANA relies on in-memory computing to quickly analyze massive amounts of data. In-memory computing is a technology that allows the processing of tremendous quantities of data in main memory to provide immediate results from analysis and transaction. The data is available for processing or analysis immediately after it is created. SAP HANA's performance is 10,000 times faster when compared to standard disks, which allows companies to analyze data in a matter of seconds instead of long hours.

To achieve the preferred performance, in-memory computing adheres to the following basic concepts:

• Keep data in main memory to speed up data access.
• Minimize data movement by using the columnar storage concept and compression, and performing calculations at the database level.
• Divide and conquer by using multi-core architecture and multi-processor servers to meet growing demands.

Some of the advantages of in-memory computing include:

• The ability to cache countless amounts of data constantly. This ensures extremely fast response times for searches.
• The ability to store session data, allowing for the customization of live sessions and ensuring optimum website performance.
• The ability to process events for improved complex event processing

Innovating with In-Memory Technology
A recent study by IDC on Innovating with Real-Time Data and Insights with SAP HANA revealed three important examples  that illustrate  some of the ways SAP HANA  and In-Memory Computing customers are changing their businesses:

• Enablement of core customer-facing services: “SAP HANA is part of a greenfield buildout of an entirely new capability that didn’t exist anywhere, and no one else is doing this with a completely new use of technology. We didn’t have an existing service that SAP HANA snapped into; we built it from the ground up.”
• Understanding and responding to business patterns. One retail organization is achieving better business results because its stores “now have better and precise knowledge of consumption and because we can keep inventory up to date with SAP HANA.”
• Customer support teams. Granular and more robust insights about customer behavior enabled more effective support of customers for the 50-person team at one organization. It noted: “We’re using a tool driven by SAP HANA that allows us to be ahead of our customers so that we’ve already spotted anything that they see. So we’ll have already found that little nugget of information and have come up with ways to address their issue.”

Approyo WhitePaper: 9 Reasons to Upgrade to SAP S/4HANA Today

SAP S/4HANA isn’t just the solution that can transform your company for the future. It is the solution that can grow your business right now. The ability to unite enterprise-wide processes into a synergistic digital core allows you to address today’s challenges, as well as position yourself for success tomorrow.

Why would you choose an enterprise management solution that impacts just one or two business areas, when you can use a single solution for all of your business needs? Learn more in our new SAP S/4HANA White Paper. We dive deep into the top 9 reasons to move to SAP S/4HANA right now.

9 reasons to upgrade to SAP S/4HANA right now:

• Improve order fulfillment
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Reduce manufacturing error rates
• Reduce procurement costs
• Respond to market fluctuations faster than ever
• Streamline your supply chain
• Improve your manufacturing cycle time
• Streamline your supply chain
• Reduce unplanned downtime

Download the Whitepaper: 9 Reasons to Upgrade to SAP S/4HANA Today

SAP S/4HANA is The Next Generation Business Suite For A Digital World
The opportunity exists to transform business processes and achieve the digital transformation of your business with more automation and real-time visibility. Our SAP HANA, SAP S/4HANA and Big Data solutions address these important these needs and more. Let us show you today! Set up a free consultation.

Approyo Honored as Back-to-Back Winner from Inc. 5000, Ranking No. 747

Inc. magazine today ranked Approyo NO. 747 on its 36th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small and midsized businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.

“Approyo is honored to be named to the Inc. 5000 list for two years in a row” said Christopher Carter, CEO of Approyo. “This ranking continues to validate our success in the SAP industry worldwide. We would like to thank our amazing clients and partners who have been and continue to be supporters of Approyo, plus our talented and dedicated staff for their passion and continued commitment to excellence.”

The 2017 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year average growth of 481%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $206 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 619,500 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.

"The Inc. 5000 is the most persuasive evidence I know that the American Dream is still alive,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “The founders and CEOs of the Inc. 5000 tell us they think determination, risk taking, and vision were the keys to their success, and I believe them.”

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 10 through 12, 2017 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. Speakers include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this and past generations, such as former Ford president Alan Mullaly, FUBU CEO and founder and “Shark Tank” star Daymond John, Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin, researcher and #1 New York Times bestseller Brené Brown, and Gravity Payments’ founder and CEO Dan Price.

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000

Methodology
The 2017 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2013 to 2016. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2013. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2016. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2013 is $100,000; the minimum for 2016 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About Inc. Media:
Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Winner of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 18,000,000 today. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation's most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates their remarkable achievements. The event also offers informative workshops, celebrated keynote speakers, and evening functions.

For more information on Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/.

View the full Press Release

Approyo named one of 10 Most Valuable SAP Solution Providers by Insights Success Magazine

Approyo is honored to announce that it has been selected among The 10 Most Valuable SAP Solution Providers by Insights Success Magazine.

Insights Success is a platform that focuses distinctively on emerging as well as leading companies, their confrontational style of doing business and way of delivering effective and collaborative solutions to strengthen market share. This magazine talks about leaders and orators from the world of technology, which includes CEO’s, CIO’s, VP’s, Managers and other professionals who had set a benchmark in the revolution of the industry.

“Starting their own business, while knowing all the difficulties, obstacles and competition one will have to face, is the greatest challenge the brave entrepreneurs of today are accepting wholeheartedly. One such outstanding influential entrepreneur, who’s running his venture, while influencing the world is Chris Carter of Approyo.” Archana Ghule, Editor-in-Chief of Insights Success.

“We are honored to be named to this great list. We want to be the most customer-centric SAP HANA business in the world. This means our team is focused on our customers and making sure that they are achieving their goals,” said Chris Carter, CEO of Approyo.

Approyo has been providing SAP HANA solutions such as SAP S/4HANA 1610 in the cloud for the last three years. Approyo built an entire platform using the best solutions in the market, allowing clients to move SAP HANA quickly and benefit immediately without the massive upfront cost structure typically seen with those bare metal solutions.

About Insights Success
Insights Success is a forum where top leaders and executives talk and share about their experiences, views, and mantra for success which will help the young and dynamic bloodline of professionals to learn, cater and deliver business needs for customers in order to become futuristic market leaders. FAST is widely recognized as a leader of both on premise and cloud-based software solutions for the insurance industry. Insights Success has listed FAST as one of The 10 Fastest Growing Financial Solution Provider Companies based on its performance, its innovative solutions and its contribution in the changing scenario of financial market.

Transform Research and Development with SAP S/4HANA

A successful research and development (R&D) department brings new designs to life with speed and accuracy based on market, customer, and quality insights. R&D prepares the downstream departments to manufacture, sell, and service products with high quality and low cost while continuously iterating designs to create more profitable, desirable, and reliable products. Digital tools are needed for rapid design-prototype-test iterations to foster a “fail fast and fail cheap” approach. There is also pressing need to simplify the complexity in downstream processes such as manufacturing, service, and sales to execute a “lot size of one.” An intelligent, integrated, and visual product innovation platform is essential for efficient product development, faster time to market, and fundamentally better initiative success rates.

With SAP S/4HANA as the digital core, customers can iteratively and more collaboratively build a foundation of requirements-driven smart products that are brought to the market faster with full compliance and a wide range of configurations and variants. SAP S/4HANA allows companies to gain live visibility into idea pipeline, portfolio prioritization, project actuals versus budget, new product design, development history, engineering changes, and finally phase-out.

SAP S/4HANA enables companies to integrate, embed intelligence,and visualize the entire R & D process from idea, to product, to production, to service, and disposal. Connected and individualized products can be developed with full compliance and shorter time to market.

• Run design processes on live insights into customer needs and market opportunities
• Perform multilevel “what if” analyses with predictive insights to drive better design decisions
• Analyze live performance of the project portfolio with predictive insights at any stage of the innovation process
• Simplify access to project information for stakeholders and team members with the ability to drill down
• Define and analyze product costs and manage all engineering changes effectively along the lifecycle
• Create a platform as the single digital backbone of product master data for internal and external collaborations across the enterprise
• Provide connected design capabilities, integrating requirements, mechanics, electronics, software components, and simulation, as well as synchronizing all downstream product development needs internally and externally
• Manage flexible, high-performing, and ease-of-use configuration and classification for product individualization
• Integrate and validate compliance requirements in the development process and manage product declarations as part of the product properties for all variants across the product supply chain and lifecycle
• Plan and communicate resource demand to match available resources in the long and short term
• Simplify decisionmaking and processes across the enterprise for manufacturing, service,and marketing through intuitive visualization

Ideation and Concept Development

• Innovation campaigns running inside and outside the enterprise
• Repository for ideas and feedback for development-to-concept stage

Portfolio and Project Management 

• Respond quickly to customer inquiries and requirements
• Coordinate resources across a project’s lifecycle
• Use performance metrics to make informed decisions
• Support for product, service, and asset lifecycles

Product Development 

• Reuse existing components and recipes
• Do costing simulations
• Manage change-controlled structures and variants
• Hand over to manufacturing and service, with full design authoring tool integration

Compliance Management

• Design products keeping material, global, regional, and industry compliance
• Prepare quality and safety sheets for downstream use

SAP S/4HANA is The Next Generation Business Suite For A Digital World
The opportunity exists to transform business processes and achieve the digital transformation of your business with more automation and real-time visibility. Our SAP HANA and Big Data solutions address these important these needs and more. Let us show you today! Set up a free consultation.

Experience a true one-of-a-kind SAP Certified Cloud

We revolutionize the adoption of SAP and SAP HANA solutions by making SAP simple for all businesses.

Approyo is a leading global SAP technology solution provider. We are the only SAP partner that allows you to choose how your cloud environment is set up, how we manage it and how we support you.

Flexible Private Cloud, built specifically for SAP Customers

• Easy
• Secure
• Cost Effective
• 24 Hours a day, 7 Days a week, 365 Days a year

The Approyo SAP HANA Advantage

• Certified SAP Environments
• Enterprise Ready
• Scalable and Reliable 
• Global Team of SAP Experts
• Flexible Pricing Options 
• Quick Implementation

Join the Revolution
The opportunity exists to transform business processes and achieve the digital transformation of your business with more automation and real-time visibility. Our SAP HANA and Big Data solutions address these important these needs and more. Let us show you today! Set up a free consultation.

Are you going to SAP SAPPHIRE NOW 2017?
Visit us along with our partners, PCM, CoreALM and Abreon on the show floor at Booth #1027. And stop by our exclusive SAP SAPPHIRE NOW 2017 After Party at the Icebar Orlando on Tuesday, May 16. RSVP today.

Rethink the Possible with SAP HANA

Why SAP HANA? Capabilities include database services, advanced analytics processing, app development, data access, administration, and openness. The benefits? SAP HANA helps you manage data in a single in-memory platform – so you can take action in the moment. Accelerate the pace of innovation and run live in this new digital economy.

Database Services
Take action in the moment by using in-memory database services to process high-speed transactions and analytics. Manage large database volumes using multitenant database containers and dynamic tiering across multi-tier storage.

Analytics Processing
Gain new insights from advanced analytics processing in SAP HANA. By leveraging  in-memory data processing capabilities – text, predictive, spatial, graph, streaming, and time series – you can get answers to any business question and make smart decisions in real time.

App Development
Develop next-generation applications that combine analytics and transactions, and deploy them on any device. Take advantage of best-in-class development tools – and deliver personalized experiences with the right data served at the right time for users.

Data Access
Gain a complete and accurate view of your business by accessing data from any source – internal or external. Access data where it’s located, integrate or replicate relevant data into SAP HANA, and ensure data quality to increase confidence in decision making.

Administration
Simplify system administration and IT operations with tools that help you monitor processes, ensure data and application security, and achieve continuous availability. Keep your business running smoothly and effectively – from any device or location.

Security
Keep your communications, data storage, and application services secure with robust identity and access management controls. Rely on best-in-class software security, patching, and encryption – and use a dashboard to monitor all KPIs related to security. 

Innovation needs Digital Transformation. Approyo can help!
Don’t let the new digital world pass you by. Approyo can help your company deal with the changing world. Our SAP S/4HANA and Big Data solutions address these important questions and more. Let us show you today! Set up a free consultation.