In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are increasingly looking to modernize their analytics and reporting capabilities while retaining their existing investments. For organizations using SAP BusinessObjects BI (BOBJ), the challenge often lies in balancing the need to stay on a trusted platform with the desire to leverage the scalability, flexibility, and innovation of the cloud. This is where BOBJ Enterprise Private Cloud Edition (PCE) and its integration with SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) come into play.

 

What is BOBJ BI and Enterprise Cloud?

SAP BusinessObjects BI (BOBJ) is a powerful suite of tools for enterprise reporting, analytics, and data visualization. It includes popular tools like Web Intelligence (Webi), Crystal Reports, and Dashboards, which many organizations rely on for their day-to-day decision-making processes. These tools have been the backbone of enterprise reporting for years, offering robust functionality and flexibility.

BOBJ Enterprise Private Cloud Edition (PCE) is a solution designed for customers who want to retain their BOBJ investments while moving to the cloud. It allows businesses to modernize their infrastructure without abandoning the familiar BOBJ environment they’ve come to trust. By migrating to the cloud, organizations can take advantage of enhanced scalability, reduced on-premises maintenance, and improved flexibility. This solution is particularly appealing for businesses that are not ready to fully transition to newer platforms but still want to benefit from cloud capabilities.

Alternative if you are using BusinessObjects Suite on premise, you have option to use BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition

 

Key Benefits of Migrating to BOBJ Enterprise Cloud

  1. Retain Your BOBJ Investments:
     With BOBJ Enterprise PCE, you don’t have to start from scratch. You can continue using your existing BOBJ tools, reports, and dashboards while modernizing your infrastructure. This means no disruption to your current workflows and no need to retrain your team on new tools.
  2. Scalability and Flexibility:
     The cloud offers unparalleled scalability, allowing your organization to handle growing data volumes and user demands without the need for costly hardware upgrades. Whether you’re dealing with seasonal spikes in data or a steady increase in users, the cloud can scale to meet your needs.
  3. Reduced Maintenance:
     By moving to the cloud, you can offload the burden of maintaining on-premises servers, ensuring that your IT team can focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine upkeep. This reduces operational costs and frees up resources for innovation.
  4. Integration with SAP BTP:
     BOBJ BI Suite acts as a layer within SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), enabling advanced analytics, reporting, and data visualization capabilities. This integration allows you to combine your BOBJ environment with other SAP cloud solutions and extend your analytics with BTP services like data integration, AI, and machine learning.
  5. Future-Proof Your Analytics:
     By upgrading to the cloud, you position your organization to take advantage of emerging technologies and innovations, ensuring that your analytics capabilities remain cutting-edge. This futureproofing is critical in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

 

Why Combine BOBJ with SAP BTP?

The integration of BOBJ with SAP BTP opens a world of possibilities for your organization. Here’s how:

  • Advanced Analytics: Leverage BTP’s robust data integration and processing capabilities to enhance your BOBJ reports and dashboards. This allows for more complex data analysis and richer insights.
  • AI and Machine Learning: Incorporate predictive analytics and intelligent insights into your reporting workflows. With BTP, you can use AI and machine learning to uncover trends and make data-driven decisions.
  • Seamless Integration: Combine BOBJ with other SAP cloud solutions, such as SAP S/4HANA or SAP Analytics Cloud, for a unified analytics experience. This integration ensures that your data flows seamlessly across platforms, providing a holistic view of your business.

 

How We Can Help

If you’re considering upgrading or migrating your BOBJ environment to the cloud, we can help design and implement a strategy tailored to your organization’s goals. Our approach ensures a smooth transition, minimizing disruption while maximizing the benefits of the cloud. Whether you’re looking to modernize your infrastructure, integrate with SAP BTP, or explore advanced analytics capabilities, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Our services include:

  • Assessment: Evaluating your current BOBJ environment and identifying areas for improvement.
  • Migration Planning: Developing a detailed roadmap for moving to BOBJ Enterprise PCE.
  • Integration: Seamlessly connecting BOBJ with SAP BTP and other cloud solutions.
  • Training and Support: Ensuring your team is equipped to leverage the new capabilities.

 

Analytics is Moving to the Cloud

The trend is clear: analytics is moving to the cloud. According to SAP, there is a 34% continuous annual growth rate in cloud adoption, with a significant decrease in customers using on-premises analytics. This shift underscores the importance of moving to the cloud to stay competitive and future-proof your analytics capabilities.

SAP’s Analytic Offerings

SAP offers two primary portfolios of products for analytics:

  1. SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC): The go-forward product, with significant investment from SAP.
  2. BusinessObjects: Still widely used by thousands of customers, with ongoing investment from SAP.

For customers who want to continue using BusinessObjects, BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition (PCE) provides a cloud alternative that retains the familiar tools and reports while offering the benefits of cloud infrastructure.

 

Transitioning to SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)

While SAP encourages moving to SAC, they understand that many customers are not ready to abandon BusinessObjects. For those customers, PCE offers a viable alternative. However, SAP is not developing tools to migrate from BusinessObjects to SAC, so customers must plan their transition carefully.

Use Cases for SAC and BusinessObjects

  • SAC: Ideal for live data connectivity, analytics catalog, and hybrid innovations.
  • BusinessObjects: Best for pixel-perfect reports and other specific use cases where customers prefer to stay on the platform.

Moving BusinessObjects use cases to SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) to ease transition. No migration from BusinessObjects to SAC and no plans to develop.

 

Reasons to Stay on BusinessObjects

For customers who rely on pixel-perfect reports or other specific features of BusinessObjects, PCE is a compelling solution. SAP’s statement of direction emphasizes that while SAC is the core strategic product, BusinessObjects will continue to be supported, especially through PCE.

BI Strategy for BusinessObjects

  • BI 4.2: Maximum support until 2024.
  • BI 4.3: Priority 1 support through 2027.
  • Private Cloud Edition (PCE): Support for BI 4.3 without an end date, making it the best option for customers who want to stay with BusinessObjects.

What You Get with PCE

  • Managed Service: SAP manages the platform, installation, and patching.
  • Two-Tier Landscape: Runs on hyperscale’s like Azure with a 99.7% SLA.
  • Flexible Licensing: Single contract with user-based subscription options.
  • Optional Services: Additional support for report development and other needs.

PCE vs. Hyperscaler

While deploying BusinessObjects on a hyperscaler (IaaS) shifts some responsibilities to the provider, customers are still responsible for the BusinessObjects layer. PCE, on the other hand, is tailored specifically for BusinessObjects, with SAP handling file cleanups, settings, and version management.

 

Engagement Process with SAP

  • Feasibility Assessment: SAP’s Cloud Architect (CAA) will work with you to determine if PCE is the right fit.
  • Migration Planning: Partners can assist with content migration, redevelopment, and other transition activities.
  • Subscription Model: Moving to PCE involves canceling existing BusinessObjects agreements and transitioning to a subscription-based model.

Flexibility Over Time

Customers can choose to move to SAC gradually, reducing their reliance on BusinessObjects over time. This phased approach allows for flexibility and minimizes disruption.

 

Conclusion

By embracing the cloud, your organization can achieve the perfect balance of stability and innovation, ensuring that your BOBJ environment continues to deliver value for years to come. Let’s take the first step toward a smarter, more scalable future. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you modernize your BOBJ environment with SAP BusinessObjects BI and Enterprise Cloud.

 

Modernize Your BOBJ Environment with Syntara

The decision to modernize your BOBJ environment is a significant one, but with BOBJ Enterprise PCE and SAP BTP, you can achieve a seamless transition to the cloud while retaining your existing investments. Whether you choose to stay with BusinessObjects or gradually move to SAC, SAP offers the tools and support to ensure your analytics capabilities remain robust and future ready.

Let’s take the first step toward a smarter, more scalable future. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you modernize your BOBJ environment with SAP BusinessObjects BI and Enterprise Cloud.