ACADEMIA

SUSE has thrown its support behind SAP Startup Focus, a global program to help startup companies in the big data, predictive and real-time analytics space develop new applications that use the SAP HANA platform.

As part of this commitment, qualified startups will be eligible to receive a comprehensive developer version of SAP HANA on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as a single, downloadable virtual machine (VM) for a six-month period at no cost. A single VM helps ease and accelerate the adoption of SAP HANA, allowing startups to more quickly evaluate and rapidly prototype solutions while running a developer version of SAP HANA on their local machines. This free VM running SAP HANA on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server can be downloaded easily from the SAP HANA Marketplace, a single destination for startups to discover, try and buy the SAP HANA platform as well as applications based on SAP HANA.

In addition, and separate from the six-month free trial, startups will receive free training via SUSE's Certified Linux Administrator (CLA) Academy, a $2,375 USD value. Pre-sales electronic support and membership in SUSE's partner program operated by PartnerNet, which provides access to additional SUSE software, are also included.

"SAP has worked closely with SUSE to support and add value to startups and customers for the strategic Startup Focus program, helping accelerate startup innovation and greatly enhancing developer experience on SAP HANA," said Aiaz Kazi, senior vice president, Products & Innovation - Platform Strategy & Adoption, SAP. "We highly value SUSE's technical enablement and software subscription offering for participants in the SAP Startup Focus program."

Centerity, a pioneer provider of end-to-end, unified IT monitoring platforms for enterprises and carriers, is a member of the SAP Startup Focus program and is a SUSE partner via PartnerNet. As a PartnerNet partner, Centerity's business service management (BSM) IT monitoring solution for SAP HANA is supported on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications. A joint solution brief from Centerity and SUSE is available for customers.

Centerity COO Marty Pejko said, "As a partner of SUSE and a participant in the SAP Startup Focus program, Centerity has access to resources from both companies that allow us to provide greater value to our customers. Users of Centerity's next-generation, enterprise and carrier-class BSM IT monitoring platform can benefit from the testing, training and tighter product integration with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications and SAP HANA that result from our involvement in the SAP Startup Focus program."

SUSE's support of the SAP Startup Focus program complements the SUSE channel program that provides further assistance to SAP channel partners. SUSE has signed up more than 400 of these SAP channel partners in 57 countries who deliver the version of the SAP Business One application that works with and is powered by the SAP HANA platform.

The SAP HANA platform streamlines analytics, planning and predictive and sentiment assessments to help allow business to operate in real-time. The SAP Startup Focus program is an accelerator for big data, predictive and real-time analytics startups. More than 1,500 startups from 57 countries are participating in the program to date, with a focus on developing innovative solutions across multiple industries from gaming to retail to finance and manufacturing.

For more information about SAP Startup Focus, visit www.saphana.com/community/learn/startups. For more on the PartnerNet program, visit www.partnernetprogram.com/program/suse.html.