SAP攪動數據庫市場烽煙四起

????在某種程度上，SAP公司試圖變得更靈活、更具創新性的努力似乎奏效了。被稱為“HANA”的基于內存的數據庫技術，以及從最近并購的SuccessFactors公司那里獲得的基于云計算的軟件這類新產品的銷售收入正在增長。但在公司的總銷售額中，新產品所占的收入比例仍然很小。另外，對聯合首席執行官們制定的一些雄心勃勃的階段性目標而言，SAP還遠未達標。

????周三，這家全球最大的商業軟件制造商公布了季度財報，稱其已連續第九個財季在軟件及軟件相關業務收入上取得了兩位數的增長。HANA的銷售額為2800萬歐元，云服務及支持服務的銷售額為2900萬歐元（公司的總銷售額為33.5億歐元）。但SAP表示，它已下定決心要成為首屈一指的云計算企業，并且有信心在2012年將HANA的收入翻一番，達到至少3.2億歐元的水平。

????在本周三上午《財富》雜志（Fortune）的電話采訪中，SAP聯合首席執行官比爾·麥克德莫特表示：“我們要成為全球成長最快的數據庫公司?！睘榱思涌霩ANA的應用推廣，SAP近期設立一筆資金，專門幫助客戶從現有數據庫遷移到HANA上。公司表示，它已開始為有意實現這種轉換的客戶撥付了一些資金。

????麥克德莫特稱：“這些客戶大多對現有的數據庫供應商不滿?！?/p>

????數據庫供應商中的頭牌就是甲骨文公司（Oracle），而它是絕不會輕易認輸的。在其近期與投資者舉行的電話會議上，甲骨文有意淡化了來自HANA的威脅（本周五甲骨文將通過網絡直播向投資者和媒體演示其旗下與HANA抗衡的新產品Exalytics。）。

????實際上，在數據庫技術、云軟件、移動應用和分析軟件等企業級市場中發展迅猛的領域，SAP想要證明它能脫胎換骨轉型成為主要廠商，還有很長的路要走。不過，它已經讓合適的人才各就各位了——近期被收購的SuccessFactors公司的首席執行官拉斯?達爾加德已進入SAP的董事會，負責所有云業務的運營。與云相關的業務收入暫時規模不大，但與傳統軟件銷售相比增速更快：SAP稱，相比2011年第一財季，SuccessFactors業務的銷售額已增長69%。與此同時，在HANA和移動應用這類創新開拓中，SAP也投入了大量營銷骨干和人力資源。

????在下個月將于佛羅里達舉行的會議上，SAP將披露其云戰略的更多細節。它肯定還會探討HANA、移動應用及分析軟件。但其核心業務——企業資源規劃軟件到底情況如何？這一核心產品不那么激動人心，但卻占據目前收入的大頭。公司很早以前就對它開展了認真的徹底整改，但遲遲未能及時交付。當然，對復雜的軟件系統進行重新設計實非易事，也耗費時日。但SAP要真正成為企業市場的創新領導者，這卻是不可或缺的一步。

????譯者：清遠

????SAP's efforts to become more nimble and innovative appear to be working—to some extent. Revenue from new products like an in-memory database technology called HANA and cloud-based software from recently-acquired SuccessFactors is growing, but it still makes up a small fraction of the company's overall sales. And SAP is still far from reaching some of the ambitious milestones its co-CEOs have set.

????The world's largest business software maker announced quarterly results on Wednesday, reporting its ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in software and software-related revenue. HANA brought in 28 million euros, while cloud subscription and support sales came in at 29 million euros (the company's overall revenue, meanwhile, came in at 3.35 billion euros). But SAP says it's serious about becoming a major cloud player. And the company is confident that it's on track to double last year's HANA sales to at least 320 million euros in 2012.

????"We intend to be the fastest-growing database company in the world," Bill McDermott, SAP co-CEO, said in a call with Fortune Wednesday morning. To accelerate the adoption of HANA, SAP recently launched a fund to help customers migrate from their existing databases to HANA. The company says it has already started doling out some of the money it has put aside for customers interested in making the switch.

????"Most of them are not that happy with their incumbent [database provider]," McDermott said.

????Oracle (ORCL), of course, is the number one database provider. And it's not going down without a fight. On a recent call with investors, the company downplayed the threat from HANA. (On Friday Oracle is planning a webcast presentation to investors and press on Exalytics, its HANA competitor).

????In reality, SAP (SAP) does have a long way to go to prove it can transform itself into major player in database technology, cloud-based software, mobility and analytics--all fast-growing sectors of the enterprise market. But it has put some of the right pieces in place—the CEO of recently-acquired SuccessFactors, Lars Dalgaard, has joined the company's executive board and is now tasked with running all of its cloud efforts. Cloud revenue is small but growing at a much faster rate than traditional software sales: SAP reported that the SuccessFactors business grew bookings by 69% compared to the first quarter of 2011. And the company is pouring marketing muscle and manpower into HANA and other innovative efforts like mobile apps.

????Next month, at a conference in Florida, SAP is expected to unveil more details on its cloud strategy. It's sure to talk up HANA, mobile and analytics as well. But what about its core business, enterprise resource planning software? It's long-overdue for a serious overhaul on its less-exciting core product, which accounts for the bulk of current revenue. Of course, redesigning complex software isn't easy and takes time. But it's a necessary step for SAP to truly become the innovation leader in the enterprise.