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SAP promises to open out data flows in both directions
SAP has announced new ways to share enterprise data across platforms, including native support for Apache Iceberg and a broader partnership with Databricks. The changes aim to make analytics and AI tools more accessible to companies still running older SAP systems, without requiring them to upgrade their ERP first.
SAP’s Business Data Cloud will support Iceberg and an open catalogue, alongside existing support for Databricks’ Delta Lake, with zero-copy sharing across services including Snowflake, Google, AWS and Microsoft. A Dremio integration will also let users query several relational databases without moving their data. Databricks says the expanded partnership will help companies combine historical SAP data with other sources to build forecasting models, while SAP and Databricks plan to connect their Joule and Genie AI tools; analysts expect competition over which platform controls the business context used by AI.
In short
- SAP is opening Business Data Cloud to more data platforms.
- Iceberg support and Databricks links extend to older ERP systems.
- The companies also plan to connect their AI tools.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Opening SAP data to more platforms could help companies use analytics and AI tools without first replacing older ERP systems, reducing cost and disruption. Support for open formats and zero-copy sharing may also make it easier to combine SAP records with other data while giving customers more choice over their tools.
The case against
The changes may widen access without resolving who controls the definitions and context that make enterprise data useful to AI. If SAP or its partners become the main gatekeepers for that business context, customers could remain dependent on a small set of platforms, with new integrations adding complexity and potential costs.