ADS – can also be used as a local solution after 2027!

That was good news that SAP CTO Jürgen Müller had to announce at the DSAG Technology Days 2023: Adobe Document Services (ADS) will continue to exist as a local solution after 2027!

“We are working on a concept to give you the option of printing locally, i.e. not with a cloud solution, with very low latency. So you can rest assured. We are so far along that we will soon be going through the topic with DSAG, and then of course it will be communicated to you,” was Jürgen Müller’s statement in his keynote speech at the DSAG trade fair at the end of March.

The ADS server is a prerequisite for using Adobe Forms. Adobe Forms is the latest form technology from SAP for outputting documents such as invoices, delivery bills, reminders or orders.

Why is this decision so important?

In 2020, SAP announced that the Netweaver Java Stack would be discontinued in 2027. This forms the basis for Adobe Document Services, which – according to an announcement by SAP in 2022 – will then only be available in the cloud. This original decision would have entailed a number of problems, which were also outlined in a position paper from the German-speaking SAP user group (DSAG) are recorded:

Performance

Longer distances between the user and the application in the cloud lead to higher latency during data transfer. Especially for critical business processes, the creation of documents must not be dependent on latency times.

Economic efficiency

If only the cloud solution can be used, volume-based costs are incurred, unlike before. The on-premise ADS could be used free of charge. These pay-per-use fees therefore represent an additional burden for companies.

Security

Even with stable performance, cloud outages cannot be ruled out, which is why business-critical processes in particular must always be available and are usually mapped in the customer’s own infrastructure to prevent connection problems. At the same time, the issue of data protection for personal data is not taken into account when it is constantly transferred to a cloud. Is it even permissible to send personal data on print documents via the cloud?

In addition to these problems identified by DSAG, the question of availability in general can also be raised with regard to security. After all, there are also companies, for example in the security industry, that cannot guarantee a constant Internet connection but still use SAP. This group is also not covered by a pure switch to the cloud.

Uncertainty among SAP customers

“Many SAP customers were unsettled by the announcement from SAP and the problems that were likely to arise. As experts for SAP Output Management, we also felt the skepticism of many of our customers and the general reluctance to switch to Adobe Forms,” says Josephine Reinhold, CEO Softway AG, summarizing the mood after the announcement of the end of ADS 2027.

For many companies, the topic even flew under the radar.

However, DSAG recognized the problem in good time and, under the leadership of Stefan Czech, put together a working group that published the above-mentioned position paper on ADS in July 2022. This position paper was sent to SAP® and in October 2022, SAP managers answered questions from customers and partners in an online meeting.

Confusion at the DSAG Technology Days

Until the DSAG Technology Days 2023 and the keynote speech by SAP CTO Jürgen Müller, the topic remained untouched for the time being. Somewhat hidden at the beginning of Jürgen Müller’s speech, however, came the hint that there will still be an ADS on-premise solution after 2027.

“It was immediately clear to us that our customers could breathe a sigh of relief. The option of a local solution remains. However, we noticed at the trade fair that many visitors to the Technology Days were only more confused by Mr. Müller’s statement,” reports Hans-Jürgen Pfister, CSO Softway AG.

Frank Engert, CEO of Softway AG, therefore clarifies once again: “Adobe Document Services will continue to be available as an on-premise version. DSAG’s commitment has once again paid off and the problem of switching to a pure cloud solution has been recognized. We are now looking forward to the upcoming talks between DSAG and SAP to find out what this local solution should look like”.

The next steps

Initial talks between DSAG members and SAP took place on April 4, 2023. At the meeting, SAP signaled to the participants that the local solution for Adobe Document Services will continue to be included in existing S/4HANA licenses beyond 2027. This means that – for S/4HANA licensees – there are unlikely to be any additional volume-based costs.

The technical platform on which the ADS will run is still open. There will be more information on this in the coming months and we will keep you up to date on our channels.