The SAP UK and Ireland User Group wants to "hear more about what SAP is doing around developing its core product", particularly in the areas of mobile and cloud, group chairman Philip Adams has said.
Speaking at the group's 2013 conference in Birmingham this morning, Adams applauded SAP for its co-operation with the group on matters such as licence transference, pricing structures and customer support, but impressed upon delegates, and SAP itself, that working closely together will become ever more important as SAP continues to expand its scope through innovation and acquisition.
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"As we look to the future, we want to hear more about what SAP is doing around developing its core product," said Adams.
"Over the last two or three years, they've made a significant number of acquisitions, and they've also broadened their portfolio by introducing new innovations. That acceleration of innovation is at the core of what we want around mobile, data, cloud and user experience."
Adams said that the user group wishes to work closely with SAP to ensure it can drive benefit from these new innovations and acquisitions, which this year included commerce software firm Hybris.
"It might be commercially attractive to move to these new innovations, but what's really important to us is how do we do it?" asked Adams.
"How complex is it going to be? Is it disruptive? Are there risks? Do we need to optimise what we have before moving?"
But otherwise, Adams was complimentary about the progress the user group and SAP have made together so far. Reminding delegates that SAP and the user group have recently signed a memorandum of understanding, which he said has succeeded in "formalising the relationship without compromising the independence of the group".
"Over the years, we have appreciated that SAP is listening to our concerns, our worries - not just in UK and Ireland, but globally," said Adams.
"When SAP reintroduced standard support along with enterprise support, it clearly indicated to us that it was listening to our concerns.
"When we challenged them on the product roadmap, they asked us to work with them to influence the development strategy, and when they introduced programmes such as Customer Connection, it proved to us again that SAP was listening to user groups."
Adams also expressed his joy that the SAP user group is now being more actively promoted within SAP itself.
Oracle, which many see as a direct rival to SAP in the database space, also has a UK user group, but this group is currently denying access to its December conference to representatives of the press.
