How about "installment-plan" SAP Educaton in the newer SAP technologies ?

[Former Member]

OK - so SAP wants more customers doing the new SAP advanced technologies.

If that's the case, SAP should want more folks out there who are qualified in these advanced technologies - BI, XI, WebD, etc.

So, why not offer SAP Education on the installment plan with a 5% interest-on-balance fee?

Is the idea too simple?

[Former Member]

Hi David,

What would the "balance" be to calculate the interest on?

Cheers,

Julius

[Former Member]

same as US credit carsds, JB - each month a portion goes to the principal and the interest is then computed on the current unpaid amount of the principal.

[Former Member]

I dont think SAP is a bank or "loan shark" business, and it is the responsiblity of the customer or integration service provider to make the investment (and credit applications).

I can't see it happening, but you never know. I think they should stick to working on their software products.

Good software makes the difference in the long run, even if the marketing folks would like to see it more differentiated and add another vector to their tool kit.

An exception is UI programming....

Cheers,

Julius

[Former Member]

deleted as duplicate

Edited by: David Halitsky on May 12, 2009 9:47 PM

[Former Member]

My goodness, Julius, do you fancy yourself Martin Luther? No one is suggesting "usury" here.

[Former Member]

Hey, you asked for 2 cents and didn't give your usual "Only informed answers are appreciated" so I thought I could brain storm it a bit.

Imagine letting 5% loans loose on ABAP General and attempting to moderate administrate them centrally? It was hard enough to send t-shirts around the world, imagine collecting debt...

Cheers,

Julius

[Former Member]

While I am second to none in my appreciation of SDN staff from top to bottom, who in their right mind would entrust them with a financial matter? SAP has plenty of skilled bookkeepers to make this happen effortlessly.

[stephenjohannes]

David,

Your idea is probably correct, just it should not be SAP offering the loans. Instead SAP could partner with one or many of its banking customers to offer such type of "tuition assistance". SAP and the banking customer could decide how to compensate each other for the service.

This assume that SAP would want to try to market its courses to a larger audience. I will say one offering that definitely would get more exposure is making the full training catalog of course available through the virtual training offering. I'm still waiting for the CRM marketing class to be offered in such fashion.

The only drawback is that the classes still cost the almost the same regardless of delivery method.

Take care,

Stephen