Technology Magazine April 2019 | Page 30

DATA IN THE ECOSYSTEM
SAP
30
DATA IN THE ECOSYSTEM
Data , of itself , is dumb , says Arlen Shenkman . “ There has long been a debate in large companies and among enterprise software specialists about the intrinsic value of data . My personal perspective is that data only has value when it helps you make better decisions and makes employees , customers and product users have a better experience with you . That can ’ t happen unless you know what they think about you .”
For 50 years SAP has been focused on customer success driven by the quality of its products : that remains the focus , but today it ’ s no longer enough . There ’ s no doubt that the acquisitions of the past ten years have deepened and broadened SAP ’ s reach . Innovation can ’ t happen in isolation , he insists . “ Without doubt M & A has driven a very robust portfolio of products , each of which enhances our focus on the success of our customers – and that , we believe , is the key to our own success as a global organization .”
So , it ’ s probably not quite the thing to regard the Qualtrics acquisition as a complete reinvention of the company . SAP always had this focus , based on customer service delivered through
APRIL 2019