Software giant SAP has extended its Digital Access Adoption Program (DAAP) for another year as it will now run till December 31, 2021.

The DAAP programme was designed in collaboration with SAP user groups and its main aim was to give users the ability to license indirect access on an array of documents that are contained in SAP enterprise software. It also helps SAP push users into the SAP’s digital access program.

The adoption programme was launched in 2018 and was only intended to run for one year, however the programme has been continually extended and this week’s announcement will see it run till at least 2021.

Paul Cooper, chairman of the UK&I SAP User Group told Computer Business Review that: “We welcome SAP extending its Digital Access Adoption Program until the end of 2021. Licensing is an incredibly complex topic and the initial one-year period didn’t give customers sufficient time to properly go through the process.”

“We commend SAP for listening to its customers and extending the DAAP, and look forward to clarification about what happens beyond 2021. For instance, if a customer creates a new process that results in digital access in the future, what options are available to them without the DAAP? We look forward to further discussions with SAP, as our members continue to evaluate their digital access position.”

SAP End of Deadlines

In February SAP killed off plans to end support for its Business Suite 7 software suite by 2025 in the face of growing customer pressure. The German software giant is extending support until the end of 2027, with an optional extended maintenance offering running to 2030.

SAP also confirmed a “maintenance commitment” for SAP S/4HANA until 2040.

The move is a welcome reprieve for end users struggling to plan huge migrations.

The company wants customers to move to its flagship ERP software, S/4HANA, which — unlikely its existing software — will run exclusively on SAP’s own database, HANA. Previously, SAP’s software worked with a number of databases, including Oracle, but businesses migrating to the new system will also need to migrate their entire database.

The extended deadline will cover core applications including SAP ERP 6.0, SAP Customer Relationship Management 7.0, SAP Supply Chain Management 7.0, and SAP Supplier Relationship Management 7.0 applications and SAP Business Suite.

Those needing support for their applications in longer conversion phases to SAP S/4HANA can tap its extended maintenance offering: “This comes with a premium of two percentage points on the existing maintenance basis for core applications of SAP Business Suite 7 for all support offerings”, SAP said today. “It will be available for three additional years beginning at the start of 2028 and ending at the close of 2030.”

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