Rise with SAP vs. S/4HANA Cloud: What are the differences?
Learn more about Rise with SAP vs. S/4HANA Cloud and SAP's vision for Rise with SAP.
As the end of support for ECC approaches, SAP is attempting to convince its users to switch to the cloud, and its subscription service Rise with SAP is a key part of the organization's efforts to move users to S/4HANA. However, confusion can arise over the differences between Rise with SAP and the company's other offerings, particularly SAP's S/4HANA Cloud software.
CIOs, CTOs and any other members of the C-suite who are involved with their company’s SAP software should make sure they understand SAP’s Rise with SAP program and the program’s relationship with the S/4HANA Cloud software so they can make the most informed decisions about their company’s technology.
What is Rise with SAP?
SAP describes the Rise program as "business transformation as a service." The company hopes users will transition from thinking of software as a purchase-to-own product to embracing a SaaS model. SAP is also hoping Rise's technical migration path to S/4HANA will persuade users to make the switch.
Rise with SAP is less about core ERP functionality and more about ERP as a service, bundled with ancillary services to add value.
Rise with SAP includes the company's S/4HANA Cloud ERP as well as SAP partner-provided migration and implementation services; access to the SAP Business Network, including Ariba; and intelligent business process reengineering, which is bolstered by SAP's process-mining capabilities. Rise with SAP is offered on SAP's cloud platform, or SAP or a hyperscaler such as AWS or Google can host it.
One of Rise's key selling points is its "single contract," which SAP presents as a one-stop shop that includes software, services and infrastructure.
How is Rise with SAP different from S/4HANA Cloud?
Rise with SAP bundles SAP's products and services to create a unified experience for users, and S/4HANA Cloud is just one piece of that Rise with SAP package, albeit a very important one. The two S/4HANA Cloud deployment options are SAP's entry-level multi-tenant version of S/4HANA Cloud and the Private Edition, which offers greater flexibility and control.
Rise with SAP builds upon that ERP foundation with additional services, including hosting infrastructure and a defined set of cloud-managed services as well as the Business Network Starter Pack, which facilitates connections with suppliers, carriers and assets.
