Apple 0n Thursday announced a new partnership with SAP, to “revolutionize the mobile work experience for enterprise customers of all sizes, combining powerful native apps for iPhone and iPad with the cutting-edge capabilities of the SAP HANA platform.”
The duo will create a new software development kit and training academy to aid developers and enterprise customers in creating custom business-focused apps for iOS devices.
“This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP’s deep expertise in business software,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “As the leader in enterprise software and with 76% of business transactions touching an SAP system, SAP is the ideal partner to help us truly transform how businesses around the world are run on iPhone and iPad. Through the new SDK, we’re empowering SAP’s more than 2.5 million developers to build powerful native apps that fully leverage SAP HANA Cloud Platform and tap into the incredible capabilities that only iOS devices can deliver.”
The new SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK will be an iOS exclusive, and will offer enterprise customers simple tools to “quickly and efficiently” build apps for iOS devices based on the SAP HANA Cloud Platform. These native apps will provide access to core data and business processes on SAP S/4HANA, while taking full advantage of iPhone and iPad features like Touch ID, Location Services, and Notifications.
“We’re proud to take this special partnership between Apple and SAP to a groundbreaking new place,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “In giving people an agile and intuitive business experience, we empower them to know more, care more and do more. By combining the powerful capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA, together with iOS, the leading and most secure mobile platform for enterprise, we will help deliver live data to people wherever and whenever they choose to work. Apple and SAP share a commitment to shaping the future, helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.”
A new SAP Fiori for iOS design language will be created under the partnership, as well as a new SAP-created suite of native iOS apps for critical business operations” built using Apple’s Swift programming language. A new SAP Academy for iOS will offer tools and training. The new SDK, design language and academy will begin rolling out before the end of the year.
