SAP Jam

2020: Possibilities of SAP Jam

According to information for April, 2020:

• SAP Jam is integrated in a complex of SAP solutions SuccessFactors that simplifies access for users of SAP SuccessFactors to SAP Jam, allowing to work and solve problems within uniform space.
• SAP Jam can be used as a corporate news portal where users will be able to trace the latest news and events from life of the company.
• Within groups in SAP Jam users will be able to communicate on working questions, communicating and to trace assigned tasks in the different directions. Groups can be both public, and confidential. At the same time their size can be any: from a small project team to all company.
• Users have an opportunity to exchange personal messages and to create chats with several users.
• The solution allows to include in internal information environment of clients, partners, vendors, suppliers and other external users depending on the purposes and problems of processes.
• The solution includes templates for the organization of training, informing, mentoring.^[1]

2015: SAP Jam received a new push to development

On May 8, 2015 SAP SE announced continuation of development of the SAP Jam platform.

The network on the SAP Jam platform totals 17 million users and helps to interact with colleagues and partners in a game format, to get access to necessary information, applications and procedures, for problem solving, achievement of results.

"SuccessFactors included in SAP Jam special opportunities, - Andrey Sharak told, the deputy CEO of SAP CIS, - except a scope of all control functions by talents of SAP Jam offers the schemes of the organization of work representing the social processes based on the best techniques. It allows the working groups to start quickly case, using all advantages of social interaction to increase in efficiency and faster achievement of assigned tasks that becomes especially relevant for the Russian companies in the light of an accurate course of the government towards implementation of key performance indicators even in state companies and need of decrease in operating expenses not less than for 2-3% annually. For implementation of all potential of social technologies it is necessary to integrate functions of joint work into the major business processes on such directions as training, performance management or adaptation of employees to improve the actual business indicators in these spheres. The SAP solution Jam allows to cooperate at all levels of business, increases the involvement of employees and leads more good results to achievement that is confirmed by an appreciation of specialists of IDC".

Screenshot of the program window, 2014

2012: New platform and its predecessors

SAP developed the platform including lines of social network. The product received the name Jam, ComputerWorld reported about it on October 31, 2012.

The statement for the platform showed desire of SAP to be a key player in the software market for the socially oriented companies. And Salesforce.com becomes the main competitor in this segment.

The platform combines lines of social network and some functionality of the StreamWork platform which did not receive special success. Perhaps, it happened because of unavailability of the market to similar products.

At the general succession of Jam and StreamWork, the last will save a part of functionality and will remain paid for users.

"The company does not plan further development of StreamWork yet", - the vice president of SAP for social software solutions Samir Patel told. - Jam lays the foundation for further work in this market and in this platform we partially recreate some especially successful StreamWork elements".

SAP Jam will be integrated with other applications which are already implemented in the companies, including SAP CRM (customer relationship management), Sales OnDemand and financial OnDemand.

Meanwhile final formation of cost and internal functionality of Jam is not complete. In the company do not speak about exact terms yet.

Analogs and uniqueness of SAP products

According to Patel, many social networks would like to develop corporate networks, but did not make special success because rolling or lease of the engine, but not a unique product for the specific company was the main idea.

SAP, in turn, offers a product which can increase performance, providing the unique social tools directed to the solution of the specific objectives arising in one step.

"At the same time, we understand that there are many our clients for whom the similar functionality is simply not necessary. However in the future, we are sure, they can change the opinion", - Patel told.

For development of the direction of SAP is going to sell additional service packages for specific business processes.

Also SAP announced intention to release products for marketing specialists of SAP Social Media which will allow operational to react to complaints on social networks and other media of channels.

Other new SAP product will allow to analyze large volumes of data from social networks, NetBase. The company plans that these products will make the dense competition to the similar Salesforce.com applications.

However, SAP is going to sell the social products as separate solutions.

At the same time Patel claims, SAP will continue to offer API for integration into third-party applications.