SAP creates online hang-out for developers

BANGALORE: The SAP Developer Network (SDN), www.sdn.sap.com, will provide a place for members of the technical community to share insight and tips. The establishment of a developer community is a fundamental step for the adoption of any architecture or platform,” said Gene Phifer, vice president, Gartner Research. “It not only allows for easy access into the latest technologies, tools and resources, but it lowers the barrier of entry and enables developers to quickly develop and deploy new applications. The value of a developer community increases exponentially with the number of members using it to develop business applications. As a result, the entire community benefits from the increased knowledge and innovation generated by the network.”

The site will focus on SAP's NetWeaver, the very platform it is built upon, as well as SAP xApps. The more than 1 million developers who have obtained developer keys can access the site, which can serve as a hub for partners, consultants and systems administrators, in addition to developers sharing technical information. Advice, code samples and tools will be available, along with discussion boards, technical articles, evaluation systems and Web training.

“With the introduction of the SAP Developer Network, we have created a platform for developers by developers with a focus on building enterprise-scale solutions,” said Shai Agassi, executive board member, SAP AG. “Just as SAP NetWeaver is platform agnostic, so too is the developer community, which is open to everyone be they from the Java, .NET or ABAP community. The SAP Developer Network will enable developers to upgrade their individual skill sets and to interact with their peers, all while fostering the delivery of more innovative and open solutions to their enterprises. We expect the SAP Developer Network to become a multi-channel platform that will create a community filled with more value-rich content than any developer Web site in the market today.”

SDN will also send information alerts to users who sign up for them. The majority of content will be free, with a selection of premium content available to subscribers.