DataDirect: The Connector of Choice for SAP

September 26, 2022 Data & AI, DataDirect

Progress DataDirect for SAP adds value to organizations' business data right out of the box.

SAP really needs no introduction to our readers. From its startup beginnings in 1972, five entrepreneurs had a vision of where the world of technology was going. Here we are 50 years later, and SAP now serves over 440,000 customers in more than 180 countries and has 107,415 employees worldwide.

With all this success, in addition to being a leader in ERP, Supply Chain Management, Financial Management and other spaces, it is no wonder that one of the leading connection drivers in the DataDirect portfolio is in support of the SAP family of solutions. These include SAP BW/4HANA, SAP NetWeaver, SAP Sybase ASE, SAP Sybase IQ, SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP HANA.

So, Why DataDirect?

Connecting to data matters and making decisions based on that data is becoming increasingly important for businesses across the globe. For analytics and business intelligence programs to be successful within organizations, they need to be populated with as much relevant data as possible. Storing data without an intended use is not feasible in today’s business environment when we need the data at our fingertips. Whether it be in the cloud, an on-premises data warehouse or a data lake, if an organization is not actually using that data for the purposes of analytics and reporting, they are selling themselves short from a competitive standpoint.

Here’s where Progress DataDirect can help. To power these connections and equip organizations’ reporting applications and dashboards, we connect disparate systems to your business data and reporting tools. 

To go into more detail, DataDirect JDBC, ODBC and OData connectors and drivers provide the standards-based access layer necessary across business applications for fast, codeless accessibility to real-time data across legacy or cloud applications. DataDirect provides a plug-and-play data connectivity solution that works right out of the box without costly customizations or enhancements, which adds value to organizations’ business data from day one to allow IT staff to focus on more important tasks.

Other Reasons Organizations Choose DataDirect for SAP

Saves Time:

  • Ability to connect existing BI/Analytics applications to major SAP databases and/or applications.
  • Organizations can load or extract data from data lakes/warehouses using Bulk API. 
  • Automatically normalizes the JSON response data from the API and transforms it to a relational data model.
  • Ability to leverage existing SAP ODBC or JDBC connectors and bridge APIs and platforms, or layer on existing security.

Security:

  • Support for the latest TLS protocols for data encryption, secure authentication methods for connections, and HTTP proxy for client security while connecting to cloud deployments. 
  • Securely access data behind firewalls without complex configurations such as setting up a VPN or SSH tunneling.

Unrivaled Performance:

  • DataDirect ensures high availability via application failover and workload balancing without changing application code. 
  • Codeless configuration to optimize performance and compatibility with any application without application changes. 
  • Real-time data connectivity between cloud applications and SAP BW/4HANA using OData—the standard for RESTful APIs.
  • Ability to deploy a standard REST (OData 2, OData 4) data access layer for your database.

But don’t just take our word for it: The great thing about DataDirect is that we are willing to back up what we say with free trials of our connectors. As seen via this link, by clicking on the red tabs, users will have the option to trial connectivity via ODBC, JDBC, or OData. Have a question? Simply submit this form to get in touch with one of our product experts.

Contact Us

Todd Wright

Todd Wright leads Global Product Marketing for OpenEdge and DataDirect solutions from Progress. He works closely with the product management and sales organizations to create and promote materials that are relevant and valuable to Progress customers. He is instrumental in developing customer relationships and creating strategic marketing plans that drive awareness, consideration, education and demand for Progress. 

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