Randall Stross of the NYT has an excellent idea, one that might save Microsoft from committing the most colossal strategic error in its quarter-century history. If Microsoft is going to buy a big company, Stross suggests, it should buy SAP--a company that actually does what Microsoft does well, which is sell software to corporations.
Stross picks up on the same theme we did in our "Microsoft's colossal strategic error" piece--namely that Microsoft's 13-year pursuit of the consumer Internet business has been a misguided attempt to rule a business it shouldn't be in in the first place: consumer web advertising. Buying a wounded player in that business, a company whose best days are arguably behind it, won't help Microsoft dominate the Internet--it will just further distract it from what it does really well--enterprise software. And it will likely end in disaster.
The heart of the problem, which Microsoft seems congenitally unable to recognize, is that no company, not even Microsoft, can fight and win wars on three brutally competitive fronts at the same time. To wit:
* Oracle, IBM, SAP, et al in enterprise software.
* Sony, Apple, Nintendo, Research in Motion, et al, in consumer gadgets.
* Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Time Warner, et al, in consumer media.
Microsoft is not a conglomerate like GE, and it can't win all of these wars. So here's what it should do instead:
* Swap its consumer Internet business and $10-$15 billion of cash for 51% of Yahoo.
* Consider spinning off its Entertainment and Devices business as a standalone company.
* Consider merging with SAP and really going after Oracle and IBM in the enterprise.
If Microsoft traded its Internet business and a bunch of cash for half of Yahoo, its shareholders would still benefit (by owning stock in a more successful Internet business). For reasons we've described in detail here, a stand-alone Yahoo would be far more likely to succeed than a merger Microsoft-Yahoo that is merely a small Microsoft division.
Microsoft is about to make a huge mistake that will likely define Steve Ballmer's tenure as CEO. We would like to see it not make the mistake (and also not take Yahoo down with it). But we, Stross, and others might as well be shouting down a rain barrel.
Source: AlleyInsider
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Saturday, April 26, 2008
Microsoft Should Buy SAP Instead of Yahoo
Monday, April 21, 2008
PeopleSoft Consultant Moving on SAP
Q. I am a Peoplesoft consultant (HR) working for a technology service provider. I have about four years experience in Peoplesoft and I am now considering moving on to a career as an SAP functional consultant.
What are the alternatives/paths available to me to kick start my career in SAP? Should I pursue SAP courses/certification or should I try to look for a job which will offer me the chance to switch over from Peoplesoft to SAP?
Are there companies that will hire an SAP consultant with Peoplesoft consulting background?
If I were to pursue education in SAP, what will be the recommended courses for an SAP functional consultant--both HR and Finance? How much of a chance is there that I will be hired in the SAP line after I have completed those courses?
By the way, what are the prospects for Peoplesoft consultants (HR, Finance) in Asia for the coming few years?
Thank you.
Career advice from Stella Thevarakam, regional HR director of management and technology consulting firm ISS Consulting (M):
You need to have SAP config experience to pursue a career as an SAP functional consultant. You can go in as a "freshie" and join an organization�s inhouse training and grow from there.
Of course there will be a salary cut and sharp learning curve but it will put you in the right path to a career in SAP.
But for an SAP consulting company to take you in as a four-year experience consultant, it would be quite impossible. You need that SAP config to go hand in hand.
HR and Finance are two very different areas. You can choose to pursue a course in either one.
Since you already have a backround in HR, it would be a shorter learning curve for you to pursue SAP HR and then join a consulting company as a mid-junior and grow from there.
SAP consulting firms would take you in given the fact that HR consultants are quite in demand and also the fact that you have a certificate in SAP and experience in HR ERP. Of course you need to be prepared to start from a junior role.
Source: ZDNetAsia
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
AMA University Will Offer SAP Course?
There were rumours that AMA University will offer a SAP Course in 2 years, I'm not exactly sure if its about ABAP or not. But I just saw their tv ad last week and I saw something about SAP, I think it is just about SAP Business One and not the SAP R/3 system.
I don't have full knowledge about SAP B1 but they said that ABAP is not the programming language for this but C++. SAP B1 are being offered in other schools including Mapua IT School in Makati
If its true that AMA will offer a course about SAP ABAP, I wonder how much would it cost, in SAP Philippines, it costs P210,000.00 for only 15 days ( whew!, expensive ), 2 years ago, it was P350,000.00.
Related links:
Will a Java expert need to learn ABAP to get into SAP?
If I am a well-experienced Java Web-based Programmer and want to get into SAP environment, do I need to study ABAP? Or do I need to get the ABAP certification?
Certification is a "nice to have" in the SAP market, nothing more. What matters more to you is this: What kinds of skills do the best SAP programmers have? In past columns, I've noted that the SAP programmer of the future is going to be a "hybrid" of Java, XML, and ABAP. That's a little simplistic, because SAP has all kinds of proprietary, Web-based tools you'll need to keep an eye on as well. However, I don't think you have to have ABAP to succeed as an SAP programmer anymore (though it's always helpful). What you really need to do is find a way to tie your Java skills into SAP-related technologies. That means getting yourself in on some type of SAP implementation. I recently did an interview with an SAP Enterprise Portals consultant who had a lot to say about the potential of Portals. Portals is one area where Java skills will come into play during mySAP product installations, but there are others. You may be able to find your way onto an SAP project based solely on the skills you have now. If you think training and certification might help you, you might look into getting training in something specific to SAP's web-based initiatives, such as Enterprise Portals, Unification Server, BAPIs, SAP Java Connector, etc. That kind of training might be even more valuable to you than ABAP exposure. What you need is a clearer understanding of how your Java skills tie into mySAP project needs, and that's going to take legwork. Formal training is one possible aspect of that, but online resources like SearchSAP.com also have a lot to offer you.
By Jon Reed
Related link:
Philippines: It Pays To Get Tech Certified
What is the future of a SAP technical/ABAP programmer?
What The Differences Between ABAP and HR-ABAP
The ABAP HR is an integral part of ABAP. Generally in ABAP the following are done:
1) Table development
2) Date Processing
3) Report developing
4) BAPIs /RFC s
5) Data base update
6) Screens development/enhancement
7) Scripts and smart forms.
8) Function Building
9) Java connectors etc.
This is basically done through the PROGRAMMING in ABAP builder by using ABAP 4th generation language. This may be related to any module of my SAP ERP 2004 like HR, FICO.SD,MM,CRM Etc.,
Now when it is said ABAP HR. It is the development of ABAP in the area of HR to meet the clients requirements according to the functional specifications .They may be in any area of HR like in the areas of time aspects ,pay aspects, OM aspects and Self Services like E-recruitment, ESS etc.,
In HR ABAP you use select statements significantly less than in other areas of ABAP development. Logical databases have limited applications in other modules but are very useful in HR. Also, you really need to understand the infotype time constraint concept. When you cannot get the information that you need out of the logical DB look at the function modules starting with HR* and RH*. These function modules will provide you with multiple ways of accessing data to save time. Worst-case scenario, use a select statement.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Why do you use infotypes in HR ABAP programming, and how is it different from other modules?
Infotypes are the only way to pull current HR data from a screen in HR. Other modules only utilize screens; however, in HR the same screen can be utilized multiple times for different reasons (i.e. New Hire, Termination and Leave of Absence). ABAP programming must utilize Infotypes to capture accurate information.
Related link: What The Differences Between ABAP and HR-ABAP?
Interview with SAP CEO on YouTube
SAP CEO Henning Kagarmann on YouTube talks about SAP:
Related links:
What is SAP?
What is ABAP?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
RP needs more business-savvy ERP consultants, says exec
MANILA, Philippines -- The market for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software remains lucrative but end-users now prefer consultants with extra industry knowledge.
"Companies are not interested in educating consultants. They want to get educated in best business practices by consultants," said Bo Lundqvist, general manager for Raffles Solutions.
Raffles is a Microsoft partner providing technical consulting for ERP users specializing in the small and medium business segment.
The company employs some 700 consultants across Asia Pacific, most of whom are based in India.
"The company is traditionally a large staff augmentation player," said Lundqvist via email. "Given the favorable conditions in the Philippines, the group aims to rapidly grow its consulting and outsourcing business from the Philippines."
He explained: "A good ERP consultant should possess industry knowledge, business practice and process knowledge as well as knowledge of the solution carried by the consulting firm."
This is why consulting firms greatly appreciate "career-switchers," or individuals from specific industries with deep understanding of the business, who seek a new career in consulting.
Lundqvist, who has worked with Philippine clients for more than six years, said there is a huge untapped ERP opportunity in small- to mid-sized enterprises across Asia.
"I believe what is holding the expansion back from an ERP software sales point of view is precisely the lack of qualified, trained and experienced consultants," he said.
SOURCE: Inquirer.net
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Philippines faces IT skills shortage
PHILIPPINES--The local IT industry is facing a shortage of skilled manpower despite a steady increase in the country's IT labor pool, shows a new study by XMG.
According to the Canada-based research firm, the average growth of IT labor in the Philippines stood at 10 percent in the last 10 years and is predicted to grow at a "steady" 3 percent in the next five years.
Despite the increase, the XMG study revealed an insufficient skilled labor pool to sustain the country's total IT growth, which is projected to accelerate by 30 percent to 35 percent year-on-year through 2010.
The study identified the skills shortage in Python, VBScript, Perl, XML and VB.net programmers in the Philippines, due to low incident count coming from the general IT population.
In the field of programming and enterprise applications, the study noted that skills in SAS, SAP, Lotus Notes and MySQL will be increasingly difficult to source, and companies must be prepared to pay a premium price to recruit professionals with these skills.
The study further emphasized a shortage of networking skills, particularly those in network administration.
The majority of fresh talents in the country will be sourced from Metro Manila, making up 22 percent of the estimated 50,000 to 60,000 graduates each year, according to XMG.
"There is a clear need to establish additional training institutions and ladderized degree programs [offered] by existing universities to boost the dwindling talent supply, due to the growth of the Philippine offshoring industry and migration of IT skilled workforce to countries such as the United States, Singapore, Canada, the Middle East and Europe," XMG statistician Benedict Dormitorio said.
The analyst also stressed the importance of ensuring curriculum alignment of educational institutions with current market needs through close consultation with IT companies and organizations.
XMG chief analyst Lauro Vives said: "With the increasing demand for IT professionals today, companies should be aware of the situation and align their strategies to mitigate risk coming from the labor market."
In order to minimize paralysis on critical operations and sustain growth, companies must extend their recruitment reach and improve efforts in skills development. They should also enrich retention and provide "hot skills" training for existing talents in the organization to avoid high additional cost components associated with these skill areas, XMG said.
Related Links:
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Career Shift: Which would be the best option: Oracle or SAP?
Q. I am working as a Lotus Notes administrator in a multi-national company for the past 1.5 years and now I am looking for a career shift. Which would be the best option: Oracle or SAP?
Moreover, what are the job prospects for Lotus Notes in the market?
Aditya Chaganti
Career advice from Kelly Chua, IT&T manager of recruitment agency, Hudson Singapore:
Oracle or SAP applications are both major ERP applications and have their own marketability if you specialise in either one of them.
The demand for SAP skills has always been very strong and those with the skills get paid better too.
As for Lotus Notes, there are still small pockets of demand in the local market. A lot of these roles tend to be more in the areas of support or upgrade to a new version or different platform.
Related Links:
Friday, April 4, 2008
Where to enroll for ABAP courses in Manila ?
Check out these prices on this ABAP Courses from SAP Philippines.
TAW10_54 ABAP Workbench Fundamentals
Start Date: 24.03.08
End Date: 04.04.08
Days:10
Fee / Person: P 204,000.00
TAW12_B32 ABAP Workbench Concepts
Start Date: 07.04.08
End Date: 25.04.08
Days:15
Fee / Person: P210,000.00
TAW12_B32 ABAP Workbench Concepts
Start Date: 14.04.08
End Date: 02.05.08
Days:15
Fee / Person: P210,000.00
I think you can inquire in University of Asia Pacific in Ortigas as they have ABAP course offered on their curiculum. Also with KAISA Philippines.
To view the complete list of courses click here.
For other countries, click here.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
What is SAP Smart Forms?
SAP Smart Forms is introduced in SAP Basis Release 4.6C as the tool for creating and maintaining forms.
SAP Smart Forms allow you to execute simple modifications to the form and in the form logic by using simple graphical tools; in 90% of all cases, this won't include any programming effort. Thus, a power user without any programming knowledge can configure forms with data from an SAP System for the relevant business processes.
To print a form, you need a program for data retrieval and a Smart Form that contains the entire from logic. As data retrieval and form logic are separated, you must only adapt the Smart Form if changes to the form logic are necessary. The application program passes the data via a function module interface to the Smart Form. When activating the Smart Form, the system automatically generates a function module. At runtime, the system processes this function module.
You can insert static and dynamic tables. This includes line feeds in individual table cells, triggering events for table headings and subtotals, and sorting data before output. You can check individual nodes as well as the entire form and find any existing errors in the tree structure. The data flow analysis checks whether all fields (variables) have a defined value at the moment they are displayed.
SAP Smart Forms allow you to include graphics, which you can display either as part of the form or as background graphics. You use background graphics to copy the layout of an existing (scanned) form or to lend forms a company-specific look. During printout, you can suppress the background graphic, if desired. SAP Smart Forms also support postage optimizing.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Technical background necessary in ERP consulting?
Q. Is it critical to have a technical background to have a career as a functional ERP consultant in modules like Distribution and accounts. What are the opportunities and rewards--financial and career-wise?
Career advice from Roger Olofsson, associate director of executive recruitment agency Robert Walters:
There are many highly successful functional ERP consultants with little or no background in software development. More importantly would be to ensure you have a deep knowledge in the functional domain you are planning to specialize in. For example, if you are planning to specialize in financial accounting covering areas such as accounts payable, accounts receivable and general ledger it would be highly advantageous if you have a background in accounting academically or professionally.
I would advise that you focus in one area, either distribution or accounting but not both as you run the risk of becoming a jack of all trades, master of none. Make your choice based on your current exposure and knowledge of these areas and of course take into consideration your interest in each of these areas as you are likelier to become a real expert and successful if you chose a domain you are passionate about. Prospects for functional ERP consultants continue to look good in the future, particularly if you develop expertise in any of the two dominant ERP packages in the market, SAP or Oracle.
Source: ZDNetAsia
