During the long weekend, I had the opportunity to engage with a variety of industry professionals I have collaborated with over the years in the SAP data domain—industry leaders, customers, end users, and technical experts. While the excitement is palpable, many have lingering questions. In this blog post, I’ll address some of the common queries and share insights based on my experiences and the content published by SAP.
The Challenge of Real-Time Integration of SAP Data
For many customers, achieving real-time integration of SAP data can be a significant hurdle, especially after moving away from the SAP ecosystem. Those who have migrated from SAP BW/HANA or Enterprise HANA often find themselves lacking some of the real-time capabilities and user experiences that are hallmarks of SAP’s data tools (SAP HANA and BEx users know exactly what I’m referring to 😊).
Many industry professionals, myself included, are actively looking for a transformative tool that can seamlessly integrate SAP data. We seek for a solution that not only facilitates real-time integration with SAP but also offers a semantically rich reporting experience, and addresses the current demands of AI and ML use cases.
A Promising Solution: SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC)
One solution that stands out is SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). While we still have a journey ahead, BDC offers a promising strategy to visualize the future of data integration. Collaborating with top-tier platforms is a strategic advantage that can enhance our capabilities.
Leveraging Existing SAP BW Investments
Existing SAP BW customers should consider the Private Cloud Edition (PCE) of SAP BW version 7.5 or BW/4HANA PCE. It’s important to note that SAP BW 7.5 will receive mainstream maintenance until 2030.
Data transfer to SAP Business Data Cloud is streamlined through a data provisioning tool, which creates Data Products within SAP BDC’s Object Store, representing your SAP BW InfoProviders.
This setup allows for the continued use of existing SAP BW queries and analytical scenarios. Moreover, these Data Products can be integrated into SAP Datasphere alongside other data sources, enabling the development of new, combined analytical views. Integrated data can also be utilized in SAP Databricks for advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI initiatives.
Understanding SAP Datasphere and SAP Databricks Integration
For existing SAP Datasphere customers, services can continue uninterrupted. Over time, customers have the option to migrate current solutions to a fully managed solution with SAP Business Data Cloud—enhancing Datasphere’s power through non-SAP data integration and advanced analytic scenarios in Databricks.
A common question arises:
- Is it necessary to use SAP Datasphere with BDC?
Answer – No.
- Is it necessary to use SAP Datasphere to enable SAP Databricks?
Answer – No.
You can use SAP Databricks independently within BDC for real-time data integration with SAP source systems and to run your AI/ML use cases. However, by incorporating Datasphere, you can leverage out-of-the-box reporting capabilities through Insight Apps (similar to SAP BI Content or HANA Live Content).
Addressing Migration Challenges with Third-Party Platforms
For those who have migrated to third-party data platforms and are struggling with real-time ingestion while losing the seamless SAP experience, there is a path forward.
You can utilize Nousot’s GenAI-powered migration tool to transfer data swiftly from other cloud data platforms to Databricks. Combine this with SAP’s pre-delivered content and Insight Apps to create SAP-specific data models and dashboards, ultimately blending SAP and non-SAP data and enabling real-time advanced analytics.
By embracing these strategies, customers can navigate the complexities of data integration while maximizing their ROI and reducing the total cost of ownership. The future of SAP data integration is bright, and leveraging these tools can position organizations for success.
* This content was originally published on Nousot.com. Nousot and Lovelytics merged in April 2025.
