SAP StreamWork: Cloud-Based, Online Collaboration Apps

Apr 15, 2010
By Larry Barrett
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SAP tries to catch up to tech titans in the cloud-based, online collaboration sector with the roll out of its first major cloud computing release dubbed StreamWork.

Desperate to demonstrate it can deliver a worthwhile cloud-based application platform to keep pace with Google, Oracle, Cisco and Microsoft, SAP is rolling out StreamWork, an on-demand collaborative decision-making suite that lets users create and share documents, wikis and applications online within the same software platform.

StreamWork is SAP's (NYSE: SAP) first significant cloud computing release since it announced wholesale changes to SAP's executive management team that culminated with the appointment of a pair of new co-CEOs, Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. It's also evidence of a newfound appreciation for the fact that the world's largest business applications developer had lost its way in terms of developing the applications, platforms and pricing models needed to compete with Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) in the cloud.

"It's the end of the beginning stage of a long journey," SAP senior vice president David Meyer said during Tuesday's media teleconference. "Innovation is core to our future success. We believe fervently in it and we're restructuring the company to make it a reality."

Atop the new priorities of SAP is a commitment to getting its new applications to market faster, a shortcoming that has largely derailed a widespread embrace of SAP's core on-demand suite, Business ByDesign, and to delivering apps that are "beautiful to the end users," Meyer said.