As SAP Sapphire 2025 kicks off tomorrow, the data and analytics community is buzzing with anticipation. Last year, I wrote about the “great expectations” surrounding SAP Datasphere platform (which has now been re-branded to SAP Business Data Cloud (SAP BDC). This year, those expectations have only grown, especially with the promise of more concrete innovations and, potentially, a major new partnership.
The rumour mill: A Snowflake partnership for SAP BDC?
There’s been speculation that SAP might announce a partnership with Snowflake, mirroring the strategic alliance it already has with Databricks. I have no idea if this is true, and it contradicts another rumour that Databricks explicitly negotiated to have sole partnership with SAP for four years. I really hope to see at least a roadmap for Snowflake, as Snowflake customers working on the roadmap for SAP integration are now in limbo. Enabling seamless integration between SAP and non-SAP platforms is still the holy grail for many enterprises, and the technology is there. Let’s hope SAP can come up with a model that works for them, customers and technology partners.
I would be very surprised if there is an update about Snowflake integration at this year’s Sapphire event, but who knows? I am just adding to the rumour mill here, and perhaps when enough people do that, it will become reality one day!
What I’m hoping to see: Data Products and Intelligent Apps
One of my biggest wishes for this year’s Sapphire is to see more tangible progress on data products and intelligent apps within the BDC. These pre-delivered, semantically rich content packages could be game-changers for organisations looking to build analytics and AI solutions faster and with more confidence.
SAP has generated a lot of hype around these concepts, but so far, the actual content has been limited. I’m hoping this year’s event will bring clarity, especially around timelines, availability, and real-world use cases.
Reflections on last year’s predictions:
In my 2024 ‘Sapphire’ blog post, I highlighted three standout features that set SAP’s data & analytics solution. So what has become of them, now we are one year further?
Integrated Planning – This remains a unique strength of SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC). The ability to combine planning and analytics in a single platform is something few others can match.
Change Data Capture (CDC) and Near Real-Time Integration – Over the past year, this SAP BDC capability has matured. While it may not rival third-party replication tools in raw power, its seamless integration into BDC makes it incredibly user-friendly and effective for most enterprise needs.
AI Copilot Evolution – Last year, SAP introduced both Just Ask and Joule. I found that confusing. Fast forward one year and looking at the sessions at Sapphire, “Just Ask” is mentioned in zero sessions and “Joule” in 58. I guess we have a winner.
Sessions I’m attending:
From the comfort of my home office (I didn’t bag a ticket to Orlando or Barcelona this year), I will be attending the following sessions:
Unleash the Power of Your Data with SAP Business Data Cloud
📅 May 20, 19:30 BST
📍 Session ID: BDC5092v
Explore the Road Map for SAP Business Technology Platform
📅 May 21, 16:30–16:50 BST
📍 Session ID: BTP2122v
SAP Business Data Cloud: Best Practices and Upcoming Innovations
💻On-demand
📍 Session ID: BDC2772v
For those lucky enough to be in Orlando, I would recommend the following session:
SAP and Databricks open a bold new era of data and AI
✈️In Person
📍 Session ID: BDC2767
I hope you all enjoy Sapphire this year!