The Technical Issue

Arguably, the core technical problem stems from the fact that SAP R/3 pushes the envelope in the Windows environment. Microsoft Windows^[30] is a 32-bit operating system that quickly hits limits in capacity for applications like SAP. The current 64-bit UNIX^[31]-based systems have been the choice of CIOs and IT managers because of the broader memory addressability and inherent scalability in performance. Also, there has been a known ceiling in Windows performance that results from a combination of crunching the database with a maximum number of algorithms, and functionalities, such as limitations on the amount of throughput that is made available.

^[30] Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

^[31] UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Compounding this is the all too common characteristic of a technical environment that is designed with a band-aid approach to solving problems. In this environment, extensive workarounds no longer extend the life of a Windows-based environment but become problems in and of themselves. For example, one major customer spent $18 million over a period of a year and a half to implement SAP. It was able to get only a fraction of the functionality up and running under the Windows environment.

The entire purpose of SAP is a complete and holistic system to manage a Fortune 500 business—and what the company got was essentially an $18 million version of QuickBooks on steroids. As a result, companies who have maximized Windows scalability are looking at UNIX as the way to grow their infrastructure.

However, a lingering customer perception is that the GUI (graphic user interface) nature of Windows makes it more cost effective and less complex to implement and administer. They also believe that UNIX is more expensive and difficult to manage, despite the repeated studies showing that it is highly scalable and reliable. As they process this decision, the need to grow their business is pushing them toward UNIX as a solution that will allow their IT environment to grow.