When we talk to companies, you get a sense of what matters to them, what is the future and how the organization in question fits into the market.
At the SAP Sapphire Now press conference this morning, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Overall, the actual production at Sapphire Now is outstanding. It’s a co-conference, being held here in Orlando and Frankfurt. Virgin Founder Richard Branson took the stage in Frankfurt but the quality of the video feed here in Orlando was crystal clear. During the press conference, Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe took turns answering questions back and forth from the two locations.
The production of the event gives us a sense that SAP is energized, a more confident company since CEO Leo Apotheker resigned and SAP returned to the Co-CEO structure.
But we also hear language that makes it a bit unclear how the Sybase acquisition fits with the company’s plan.
But, overall, we are curious about the executive team and the role of SAP CTO Vishal Sikka.
The Sybase acquisition will be shepherded by Sikka and SAP Chairman Hasso Plattner. On Wednesday, Plattner will go on stage with Sikka to present the vision for the in-memory technology capabilities that come with SAP and Sybase together.
That’s a sign of what is really happening at SAP. Plattner is deep in the game and the company has two CEO’s. In the middle is Sikka who is guiding the technology, defining and clarifying what the acquisition means. He reports to Plattner, which shows the leverage he has in the organization.
In all of this is a shift in the organization, another reorganization as we have heard some analysts lament about.
After the press conference we talked to some of the more seasoned analysts who cover SAP. They are still unclear, too, and talk with a bit of frustration about the company and its number of re-organizations. But perhaps we will get a better picture on Wednesday when Plattner and Sikka take the stage.
[Disclosure: SAP paid for a plane ticket and hotel room for Alex Williams to attend the the SAP Sapphire Now conference in Orlando.]