EXPERT OPINION/ SAP BTP
A s we settle into 2026, the technology landscape for the SAP customer ecosys- tem is characterized by both unprecedented opportu- nity and urgency. Organizations are no longer just planning their moves to SAP S/4HANA or assessing cloud readi- ness; they are actively planning for sig- nificant and ongoing transformation. At the center of these activities, balancing the need for a stable ERP core with a demand for agility and artificial intel- ligence, is SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). For technology leaders, Enterprise Architects, and developers, the ques- tion is no longer whether to use SAP BTP, but how to maximize its strategic value as the foundation of their digital operations. To understand where the platform is heading and the value it de- livers today, SAPinsider sat down with Steffen Pietsch, Global Head of BTP Product Management at SAP. In a com- prehensive discussion, Pietsch talked about the role of SAP BTP, its critical relationship with data and AI, and why it remains the engine for modern busi- ness transformation. The Central Enabler of the Intelligent Enterprise For the past several years, SAP BTP has been positioned as the technological glue holding the SAP ecosystem to- gether. But in 2026, calling it “glue” drastically understates its capabilities. It is not merely a middleware or an in- tegration layer; it is the comprehensive operating system for digital innovation. When asked to summarize the funda- mental role of the platform for SAP cus- tomers today, Pietsch is unequivocal.
through which businesses can achieve a clean core without sacrificing their unique competitive differentiators. “SAP BTP provides an innovation layer enabling customers to differenti- ate their business while doing what we call ‘keeping the core clean’,” Pietsch explains. “This means that our custom- ers can innovate around SAP systems without modifying the system core in a way that would otherwise complicate upgrades and adoption of new innova- tions from SAP.” By utilizing side-by-side extensibility on SAP BTP, organizations can build be- spoke applications, complex workflows, and industry-specific enhancements completely decoupled from the SAP S/4HANA core. When SAP releases a new upgrade or a new AI capability, the core system can be updated smoothly because the custom code lives securely on SAP BTP, communicating via stand- ard APIs. “As we look to 2026, SAP BTP’s strate- gic role has not changed,” Pietsch notes. “It continues to serve as the foundation of SAP’s business applications as well as the platform for customers to inno- vate and to transform in the cloud. It is also the platform for our ISV partners to build and deliver their own cloud ap- plications.” The Data Synergy: SAP BTP and SAP Business Data Cloud Enterprise data is often trapped in rigid silos across both SAP and non-SAP sys- tems. In recent years, SAP has sought to tackle this challenge, culminating in architectural shifts that tightly align SAP BTP with modern data strategies. “In 2025, SAP took the Data and An- alytics portfolio to the next level with
“SAP BTP’s fundamental role is to serve as the foundation for the entire Business Suite, encompassing SAP business applications, SAP Business Data Cloud, and SAP Business AI,” stated Pietsch. “It is the central enabler that empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of their business ap- plications, harness the power of their data, and seamlessly integrate AI into their core processes.” This definition is critical. In an era where fragmented IT landscapes para- lyze decision-making, SAP BTP acts as the unified foundation. It provides us-ers and developers with a single, cohe-sive environment to build appli- cations and intelligent agents, automate processes, and connect disparate sys- tems. By bringing together application development, automation, integration, and artificial intelligence into a unified environment, SAP BTP removes the si- los that have traditionally slowed down enterprise IT delivery. The Clean Core Imperative Perhaps the most pressing challenge facing SAP customers in 2026 is the move to SAP S/4HANA and the adop- tion of cloud ERP paradigms. For dec- ades, the standard operating procedure for SAP customers has been to heavily customize ERP systems using tradi- tional ABAP modifications. While this allowed businesses to tailor the soft- ware to their exact needs, it created im- mense technical debt, making system upgrades a costly, multi-year night- mare. Enter the “Clean Core” strategy, a mandate that has shifted from a best practice to an operational necessity. SAP BTP is the primary mechanism
“SAP BTP’s fundamental role is to serve as the foundation for the entire Business Suite, encompassing SAP business applications, SAP Business Data Cloud, and SAP Business AI.” Steffen Pietsch, Global Head of BTP Product Management at SAP
64
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online