Change is inevitable— be it life or technology! By now, you must have heard about SAP ending support to SAP Ariba Integration Tool Kit (ITK) on December 31st, 2023. But what does this mean? End of support means SAP or the consulting teams will no longer provide support, upgrades or security after this year.
Key Timelines for SAP ITK’s Sunset
By December 31, 2023
- SAP will provide support on critical issues only
- SAP official download sites will no longer host ITK
- There will be no new releases for SAP Ariba ITK
Effective January 1, 2024
- No new features or bug fixes; no security or compliance upgrades
- ITK functionality may continue, but no SAP support for integration-related problems
- Integration capabilities may be lost due to lack of support
Understanding the SAP ITK Lifecycle and Its Challenges
Why, then, is SAP discontinuing SAP Ariba ITK? Despite the migration and protocols headache, SAP is doing this because the benefits far outweigh the cost.
For starters, SAP Ariba ITK is an outdated legacy solution with several notable limitations, especially data modeling. It’s a desktop tool with limited integration capabilities and slower transactional exchange. It also lacks data mapping and may cause errors. To address these issues, SAP recommends using a more centralized multi-cloud integration suite that offers enhanced functionalities, consistency, and security.
What is Replacing SAP ITK, then?
Well, that depends,
If you are a SAP ERP customer, you’ll have to migrate to SAP’s SAP Integration Suite, Managed Gateway for Spend Management and SAP Business Network (AKA. SAP Integration Suite) to integrate ERP with Ariba solutions.
For non-SAP ERP systems or ad-hoc integrations with SAP Ariba and Intelligent Spend and Business Network solution customers, SAP presents three alternatives:
- SAP Integration Suite on Business Technology Platform (BTP)
- BTP ITK Lite 4 Procurement
- Custom Build third-party Integration Tool ITK Replacement
How Does this Impact My Business?
As discussed earlier, the end of SAP ITK support could disrupt your business’s integration capabilities and procurement processes. As SAP is not going to comply with any upgrades, it can lead to potential errors and hamper your operational inefficiencies. Transitioning to a centralized integration platform that seamlessly connects your heterogeneous IT landscape is the better, smarter move.
Assessing the SAP Integration Suite
The SaaS-heavy modern business landscape demands a robust solution for secure data exchange between on-premise and cloud systems. SAP Integration Suite is the perfect Integration-Platform-as-a-Solution (iPaaS) not only overcomes the ITK limitations but also adds a range of assorted functionalities that simplify, standardize, and secure your heterogeneous IT landscape.
One of the biggest benefits of SAP Integration Suite is its flexibility, the Interface development is fast and user-friendly. The suite integrates multiple systems and data across different applications, devices, and sources. It goes beyond the application layer to include an added layer. The Integration Suite, especially its standard edition, provides valuable extensions like API management, open connectors, and tools to simplify connectivity to numerous third-party apps and transform or map data differently.
Weighing in Your Options
To cut a long story short, if you’re using SAP Ariba ITK, shifting away is a necessity. But in the rapidly evolving business landscape, migrating to the SAP integration suite could be more than just a technical shift. It can be a strategic leap towards expanding horizons with unmatched integration tools and capabilities– one that empowers you to connect all the dots seamlessly across your entire digital ecosystem.
Crave InfoTech possesses the technical and industry knowledge to create efficient migration plans, ensuring swift and hassle-free transition. Reach out to us for a tailored migration strategy.
You can also join us at the upcoming SAP BTP Executive Summit and gain comprehensive insights into ITK Migration.
