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SAP BI versus SAP BW: Whats in a Name?

Kathleen Beavers Business Card
Posted on Nov. 01,

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00! 0":0" P# in Business Intelli$en%e &BI'

A frequent question that we get at SAP events from both customers and partners is, What is the difference between SAP Business Intelligence (SAP BI and SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW !" Well, the answer to that has changed over time as SAP#s strateg$ has evolved% In the beginning, we had SAP BW% Shortl$ after that, SAP BW was bundled with other components, such as SAP Wor&place (and later SAP 'nterprise Portal to form a licensed product that was named m$SAP Business Intelligence (m$SAP BI , to distinguish between the overall solution and the underl$ing SAP BW component% With the development of the SAP (etWeaver, it was determined that the business intelligence component should become part of this platform% A decision was made to retain Business Intelligence" as the name of the underl$ing component, because this name is more descriptive of the scope of the product, including as it does data warehouse management, e)traction, transformation and loading capabilities, business modeling, business content, *+AP anal$sis, data mining, business insights via alerts and reporting features, and planning functions with the new BW,BPS% Within SAP BI, SAP BW remains the core product, providing the abilit$ to control, monitor, and maintain all processes connected with data staging and processing% -owever, this is a technical distinction that is e)pected to end with SAP BW .%/, the business intelligence component of SAP (etWeaver #01% 2uture releases are planned to have onl$ the Business Intelligence" designation, such as SAP (etWeaver Business Intelligence 3%0, which is e)pected to be the name of the component in the ne)t release% What does this mean to $ou! 4ou should start thin&ing of the product as SAP BI" and tr$ to use the term SAP BW" onl$ when $ou are referring to a specific release, such as SAP BW .%5 6ontent or SAP BW .%/% It#s going to be a tough ad7ustment, but if $ou start now, it will be easier when the SAP BW" term goes awa$ completel$8 Kathleen Beavers is a Product Manager for SAP NetWeaver specializing in the SAP Business Intelligence component and leading the SAP BI customer feedback pro ect! Please let me (no) i* need an+ %lari*i%ations, Comment on this )e-lo$ Showing messages 5 through 59 of 59%

:itles *nl$ ;ain :opics BW<BI,,,,(etWeaver technolog$ =009,01,=/ 0>?/>?=0 diwa&ar d& Business 6ard @Aepl$B

*ldest 2irst

-i, i would li&e to &now how BW<Bi is related to netweaver technolg$ , i would be ver$much pleased if $ou could through some light on this!

Aegards CD

BW<BI,,,,(etWeaver technolog$ =009,01,=9 0=?=0?=3 Dathleen Beavers -i CD, Business 6ard @Aepl$B

Starting with SAP BW .%/, the standalone component (i%e%, sold separatel$ became part of the SAP (etWeaver platform% When a customer upgrades to this release, the$ switch to an SAP (etWeaver license% (2or details on licensing, $ou need to tal& to $our SAP account e)ecutive% With SAP BW .%/, $ou do not need to implement an$ other SAP (etWeaver components, e)cept of course the underl$ing SAP (etWeaver Application Server% As we go forward with the SAP (etWeaver strateg$, we will

continue to increase integration between BI and other capabilities of the platform% 2or e)ample, with SAP (etWeaver =001s, $ou will implement both BI and Portal capabilities to support the B') suite% Aegards, Datie

SAP BI versus SAP BW =00/,09,0> 5.?/1?15 ;and$ 4oung Business 6ard @Aepl$B :han& $ou for ma&ing it clear on the difference between BW and BI% BI is the direction8

SAP BI 3%0 =00/,09,03 ==?1.?/E Flat&o Aadisic Business 6ard @Aepl$B Dathleen,

an$ documentation available $et on SAP BI 3%0! We are an)ious to read more about it% Also, what are the official release dates! It is quite impressive how SAP is continuall$ upgrading its Business Intelligence products% Great 7ob8

SAP BI 3%0 =00/,09,0> 03?=3?=3 Dathleen Beavers Business 6ard @Aepl$B

p%s% I recommend downloading the preliminar$ BI capabilities document rather than tr$ing to open it from the SAP Service ;ar&etplace%%%and then e)pect it to ta&e a little while if $ou donHt have a fast connection8

Datie

SAP BI 3%0 =00/,09,0> 03?0.?51 Dathleen Beavers -i Flat&o, Business 6ard @Aepl$B

I need to as& $ou could post questions li&e this in the future to the Business Intelligence ,IBusiness Information Warehouse forum% :his will be ver$ helpful, as the information will be easier for other interested parties to find, as most people would not be loo&ing for it under this blog% :he ne)t release of SAP (etWeaver Business Intelligence will be the SAP (etWeaver =001s release% :his will be part of the m$SAP 'AP =00/ ramp,up beginning in *ctober =00/% 2or more information on the availabilit$ of SAP (etWeaver =001s, please chec& the 2AJ document and Product Availabilit$ ;atri) (PA; in the SAP Service ;ar&etplace at alias <(W=001s% 2or preliminar$ information on business intelligence capabilities of the SAP (etWeaver =001s release, please see the <bi alias in the SAP Service ;ar&etplace% 4ouHll see a path SAP (etWeaver =001s ,I BI 6apabilities that will lead $ou to a presentation document highlighting the planned features% Please &eep in mind that this is preliminar$ information and sub7ect to change, but should give $ou a ver$ good idea of what to e)pect in the ne)t release% Aegards, Datie

Informations on BI 3%0 =00/,0=,03 0E?.5?11 K'A( 6+ALC' PIFFI Business 6ard @Aepl$B

-ello Dathleen, do $ou &now where to find informations on the new release of BI% :han&s, Kean,6laude

Informations on BI 3%0 =00/,0=,03 0E?1.?03 Dathleen Beavers Kean,6laude, Business 6ard @Aepl$B

Specific details of the ne)t SAP (etWeaver release, including the SAP BI component, are not $et available% Sta$ tuned to SC( , I am sure that we will start to hear more in the ne)t couple of months% Datie

Mer$ Informative =001,55,.0 =0?1.?.. pradeep tr Business 6ard @Aepl$B A long time doubt is cleared%

Mer$ Informative =001,5=,05 09?1.?11 Dathleen Beavers :han&s8 Business 6ard @Aepl$B

SAP BI Mersus SAP BW =001,55,5/ 5/?/E?50 Carin Paton Business 6ard @Aepl$B -i Dathleen,

4ou pic&ed a good one this month% I thin& SAP using BI suggests that the$ will support all the technolog$ components to support Business Intelligence% As once commented b$ Aichard Cunning, Business Intelligence is defined as an$thing that gives a business a competitive advantage% In addition to this definition, I would define an$thing as people, processes, or technolog$% :hrough businesses better managing their &nowledge to streamline their business is &e$ and I thin& BI :echnologies pla$ a &e$ role in this opportunit$% Carin Paton , :ransAlta%

SAP BI Mersus SAP BW =001,5=,05 09?1=?/. Dathleen Beavers :han&s Carin8 Business 6ard @Aepl$B

ItHs the support of and input from customers li&e :ransAlta that will continue to allow us (and push us8 to e)pand the business intelligence capabilities of the SAP (etWeaver platform% Something that I did not even touch on in the original Web log was the integration with SAP 'P , which is a significant facilitator in our efforts to deplo$ information to an$ appropriate user% Aegards, Datie

Juestion regarding S'; , BPS ,,I BW , BPS =001,55,0E 50?1/?19 Barbara Ware Business 6ard @Aepl$B

I understand that with BW .%/, S';,BPS is renamed BW,BPS%

Will S';,BPS still remain in S';! 2or how long! If so, (S'; in both places , is it 7ust the business planning part that will be in BW (BW,BPS ! :hen what is the migration path for future upgrades if a customer for e)ample wants to use S'; , Business 6onsolidation or the 6orporate ;onitor! Would the customer li&el$ use BW,BPS (.%/ version for their planning with an SAP S'; add,on for Business 6onsolidation and the ;onitor!

Juestion regarding S'; , BPS ,,I BW , BPS =001,5=,05 09?.E?00 Dathleen Beavers Barbara, Business 6ard @Aepl$B

S';,BPS and BW,BPS are a whole topic on their own, but IHll do m$ best to tell $ou what I can% S';,BPS will remain in S'; for the foreseeable future% N2or current S';,BPS customers and BW,BPS customers, their investment will continue to be supported b$ SAP% In this wa$ users can e)pect to continue to realiOe the benefits of the planning capabilities with BPS and also realiOe the platform upgrades as future releases of SAP BW continue to evolve%N :here is no plan at this time to migrate the other S'; components to SAP BI, therefore customers migrating to or implementing BW,BPS would require the S'; add,on for B6S and 6P;% NAegarding the integration to Balanced Scorecard and 6onsolidation current capabilities will remain and be enhanced% :he integration will still done via SAP BW Info6ubes% As a result, it will be possible to consolidate plan data in B6S% It will be possible to displa$ plan data within the Balanced Scorecard and to drag or change it in Performance ;easurement% :he integration of master data will also be guaranteed using the common SAP BW data basis%N :he information in quotes comes from the BW,BPS 2requentl$ As&ed Juestions% 4ou can find this information as well as much more in SC( under Business Information Warehouse ,I Planning in SAP Business Intelligence% Aegards, Datie

SAP BI versus SAP BW? WhatPQ519Rs in a (ame! =001,55,01 53?55?50 Kohn -aw& Business 6ard @Aepl$B Will the term BW continue to be used as the name for the engine behind AP*, S';, BPS and now BI!

SAP BI versus SAP BW? WhatPQ519Rs in a (ame! =001,55,0/ 03?=3?10 Dathleen Beavers Kohn, Business 6ard @Aepl$B

(o, the SAP BW term will be phased out% :he core component will be SAP BI% :han&s for the question, Datie