SAP’s fresh API policy has ignited a firestorm among its core customers in Germany’s manufacturing heartland. The German-speaking SAP User Group, known as DSAG, slammed the changes for sowing confusion that could halt new projects dead. Users fear the rules confine them to a narrow set of approved interfaces, choking off custom builds that powered years of tailored solutions.
Jens Hungershausen, DSAG board chairman, didn’t mince words. ‘In the past, you had your own developments… your own programs, maybe you created your own solutions with SAP using these APIs,’ he told The Register. ‘Now it’s not clear which kind of APIs are allowed for use and which ones are not.’ SAP’s policy, dropped last week, demands builds stay ‘within the limits of SAP-endorsed architectures, data services, or service-specific pathways.’ It points developers to an API Hub of whitelisted interfaces. But that hub? Critics call it outdated and poorly curated.
Hungershausen warned of broader fallout. ‘The unclear formulation of the policy creates uncertainty on the customer side. If you’re uncertain, you probably won’t do anything about it, and that’s a risk that innovation is not taking place.’ DSAG, speaking for firms across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—much of Europe’s industrial muscle—issued a German-language statement demanding clarification. They plan their own FAQs to counter SAP’s version.
SAP pushed back in a statement to The Register. ‘These updates clarify design-intended use of SAP interfaces, align with industry standard cloud practices, help protect system stability and customer data, and provide guidance on supported integration patterns—without changing customer data ownership.’ The vendor frames the shift as essential for secure AI and automation growth on shared platforms. Fair enough. Yet partners and users see a different picture: potential lock-in as SAP reserves the right to add or yank APIs from the hub.
This clash fits a pattern. DSAG has long tangled with SAP over its cloud-first drive. A February survey showed nearly half its members plan to stick with legacy ECC past the 2027 support cliff, eyeing extended maintenance at a 2% premium through 2030, per The Register. Economic headwinds amplify the tension. DSAG’s 2026 Investment Report found 38% of respondents hiking IT budgets, but 24% slashing them amid energy costs and geopolitics, as noted by CIO. SAP investments? Up for 43%, down for 28%.
And the cloud push. SAP’s RISE with SAP bundles migration to S/4HANA Cloud, but on-premises users cry foul over uneven innovation access. Back in 2024, Hungershausen accused SAP of discriminating against premise setups by gating generative AI to cloud, according to Constellation Research. DSAG demands fair paths for all. Recent polls echo caution: S/4HANA Cloud grows, but hybrid and on-prem dominate preferences, with firms prioritizing license transparency amid migration woes, as in Heise Online.
Half-measures won’t cut it. SAP’s API restrictions hit at a vulnerable moment. Manufacturers rely on custom integrations for supply chains, AI pilots, even IoT ties. Revocable whitelists? That’s a project killer. Partners whisper of lock-in risks, echoing earlier gripes in The Register. DSAG’s move forces SAP’s hand. Will the ERP giant broaden the hub, commit to stability, or double down on control?
History offers clues. SAP bent before—offering 50% RISE discounts after user backlash, winning nods from DSAG, per Computer Weekly. But deadlines loom. ECC mainstream support ends 2027; extended to 2030 costs extra. Forty percent of customers may miss even that, Gartner warned last year. German firms balk at full cloud over data sovereignty and GDPR, despite S/4HANA’s pull, as CentralCharts reported.
Stakeholders watch closely. DSAG’s clout—representing giants in autos, chemicals, machinery—means ripples worldwide. US group ASUG echoes themes in its 2026 Pulse survey: S/4HANA tops priorities, but costs and AI adoption lag. SAP must balance cloud revenue dreams with user trust. Uncertainty breeds paralysis. Clear rules. Stable access. Or risk a user exodus to rivals like Oracle, Workday.
No recent X posts amplify the DSAG critique directly; chatter focuses on broader S/4HANA pains. But the API row underscores a truth. SAP’s pivot demands buy-in. Force it, and loyalty frays. Listen, and the path smooths.
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