SAP news round up

Firstly, V3 reported on the extension of SAPs integration partnership with mapping specialists Esri. SAP will integrate the location intelligence provided by Esri with its HANA platform so users can harness and monitor mapping data across business units and in multiple locations. The tool will also allow business users to run complex spatial queries on massive volumes of data in real-time. ZDNet elaborates that the partnership also brings self-service mapping to business users.

Jason Stamper, analyst for Data Platforms and Analytics at 451 Research commented, "Of the various integrations, the most interesting is the ability to process spatial, location and enterprise data using SAP HANA in real time, instead of having to move all of the data between GIS and operational systems," Stamper said. "Add to that tighter integration between Esri ArcGIS and the SAP Mobile Platform so mobile staff can have apps that blend spatial and other business data, and you start to see the potential."

SAP has also been helping the German football team analyse big data according to an article in CBR. SAP and the German squad have been working together since last October to improve team performance and gain insight into opponents' strengths and weaknesses. Capturing data from eight cameras around the pitch, SAP's Match Insights technology was used to process and analyse this data in real time, looking at teams as a whole as well as German players and their opposite numbers. They looked at average possession time, speed and distance travelled, player positions and number of touches. The data is then displayed on players' mobiles and tablets or viewed in the players' lounge on a big screen for everyone to digest.

Insights gained were credited with speeding up the side's passing, from an average of 3.4 seconds of possession per player back in 2010 to 1.1 seconds per player in Brazil 2014. Clearly their strategy has been working, with Germany becoming Wold Cup winners - perhaps the England team should take note!

Further uses cases for HANA will be high on the agenda at this years annual User Group Conference in Birmingham. Register here to make sure you stay up to date.