SAP is imposing maintenance increases on some users that
are greater those agreed with the SAP user group executive network
(Sugen), saysRay Wang, partner at consultancy Altimeter
Group.
"Some end users are not aware of the Sugen agreement, but it is
important for them to know that the agreed limits exist so
businesses can push back if the limits are exceeded," said Ray
Wang.
Users should
contact the SAP user groups to ensure that any increases that
SAP makes conform to the agreement reached between SAP and the user
group, Wang told Computer Weekly.
Contractually, SAP is allowed to impose increases, but the Sugen
agreement supersedes those contracts, said Wang.
All enterprise maintenance increases are to be managed through a
joint process between SAP and Sugen, which requires SAP's programme
to meet 11 agreed key performance indicators (KPIs).
The KPIs are aimed at ensuring that SAP's maintenance programme
is delivering business value to end user organisations, with
research firm Gartner acting as an independent assessor.
The first increases under the joint process are due in January
2010, providing SAP has met five of the 11 KPIs in a trial
involving 100 SAP users by the end of 2009.
This process is still a work in progress, said Wang, but in the
meantime SAP is allowing many users to "park" licences to save on
maintenance fees for software they are not using.
SAP is also giving credit for these parked licences to enable
end users to exchange then for licences for new products that
better meet business needs to encourage continued investment, he
said.
At the SAP UK and Ireland User Group Conference 2009, Wang
called on end users to get involved in the SAP user group on the
maintenance issue and to push for the innovation they need.
SAP is moving too slowly to bring alternative delivery models
like software-as-a-service and products to market developed using
its more than €1bn annual research and development budget, he
said.
"There is a ton of innovation at SAP that is not being
communicated, so end users need to challenge SAP through the user
group to find out what it has got that can help their business,"
said Wang.
Innovation at SAP is often mired in internal politics, he said,
citing an enterprise class Twitter-like application that has never
been brought to market.
"End users need to work through the user group to push SAP to
unlock the innovation, to find out what is available, and to get
clarity on the SAP product map so they can plan for change," Wang
said.