SAP simplifies the naming of its cloud ERP offering

What changes – and what doesn’t. Let's have a look at SAP Cloud ERP, GROW with SAP and RISE with SAP!
In spring 2025, SAP introduced a clearer naming for its cloud ERP products, removing the technical jargon from the product names. The former SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition and private edition are now simply referred to as SAP Cloud ERP and SAP Cloud ERP Private—aligned under the new SAP Business Suite umbrella. While the licensed names remain unchanged, this rename ensures customers immediately recognize they are choosing SAP’s core cloud ERP solution.

What’s Changed & What Hasn’t

SAP updated the product names of its cloud ERP solutions. The well-known but technically complex names referring to the SAP S/4HANA database have been replaced in marketing and sales materials by clearer, more accessible terms:

  • SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition → SAP Cloud ERP
  • SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition → SAP Cloud ERP Private

This update is not a technical change—both licensed product names remain the same in contracts and backend systems. Rather, SAP aims to remove the need for customers to decipher internal jargon. By foregrounding the role these products play in driving cloud ERP transformation, SAP shifts focus from technical architecture to business outcomes.

Moreover, the renaming aligns with the rollout of the broader SAP Business Suite, a unified portfolio that brings together core ERP, industry-specific capabilities, embedded AI (like Joule), and integration via the SAP Business Technology Platform. The new naming helps customers better understand where each solution fits into this suite and how they can navigate their journey with SAP - whether through GROW or RISE.

Previous Name
New Name
Deployment Model
Journey
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
SAP Cloud ERP
Multi-Tenant SaaS
GROW with SAP
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
SAP Cloud ERP Private
Single-Tenant / Hyperscaler
RISE with SAP

Public or Private: Choosing the Right Path

SAP recognizes that organizations have varying requirements when it comes to cloud ERP, whether it’s speed and standardization or flexibility and control, and offers two distinct solutions - public or private - each addressing different customer needs.

SAP Cloud ERP

Public Cloud

It offers rapid implementation, standardized processes, and quarterly innovation updates. It is optimized for agility, cost-efficiency, and scalability, making it well-suited for SMEs or organizations starting fresh in the cloud.

SAP Cloud ERP Private

Private Cloud

Which supports complex transformation needs, with the flexibility to maintain custom code, industry extensions, and integration to legacy systems. It is tailored for companies with high demands on process control, compliance, or localization.
Over the long term, SAP anticipates significant growth in public cloud adoption, thanks to its fast time-to-value and lower total cost of ownership. However, private cloud will remain critical for businesses with complex needs, high customization requirements, or regulatory constraints. To support both approaches, SAP has defined two dedicated transformation paths - GROW and RISE - each tailored to the strengths and capabilities of the respective deployment model.

SAP Cloud ERP with GROW

GROW with SAP is designed for companies aiming for a fast, standardized cloud ERP adoption. It leverages SAP Cloud ERP (formerly public edition), delivered as a multi-tenant SaaS solution. Ideal for greenfield implementations, GROW enables rapid time-to-value through:

  • Preconfigured best-practice business processes
  • Modern UX and embedded AI (e.g. Joule)
  • Seamless integration with SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP)
  • Short implementation times with guided methodology
  • Transparent subscription pricing
  • Modular entry packages via SAP Business Suite (e.g. Finance Base, SCM Base)

The GROW journey targets companies that are ready to adopt industry-standard processes with minimal custom development. It offers speed, scalability, and simplicity—ideal for small to midsize businesses or for subsidiaries entering the SAP ecosystem with a fresh start.

SAP Cloud ERP Private with RISE

RISE with SAP supports more complex transformation journeys, offering SAP Cloud ERP Private (formerly private edition) in a single-tenant environment. It enables especially existing SAP customers the tailored ERP modernization through:

  • Full control over system architecture and custom extensions
  • Support for brownfield and selective data migrations
  • Access to tools like Signavio, SAP Build, and BTP
  • Deployment on hyperscaler or SAP infrastructure
  • Bundled contract for software, hosting, and services
  • Business Suite packages aligned with enterprise transformation needs

In contrast to GROW, the RISE journey is for organizations that require deep flexibility—whether due to industry-specific processes, regulatory demands, or the need to preserve existing investments. It allows businesses to modernize their ERP landscape while maintaining tight control over configurations and integrations.

SAP’s Future Strategy: One Suite, Two Journeys

With the introduction of the SAP Business Suite, SAP positions its cloud ERP as the foundation for a broader, modular enterprise platform. The Suite integrates financials, supply chain, HR, procurement, customer experience, AI, and data into one unified offering. This aligns with SAP’s “Suite First” and “AI First” vision—supporting everything from lead to cash, source to pay, hire to retire, and beyond.

The strategic focus is on:

  • Standardization and scalability via GROW with SAP (public cloud)
  • Individual transformation paths via RISE with SAP (private cloud)
  • Migration away from ECC and on-premise models by 2030 at the latest
  • Expansion of sovereign cloud infrastructures and operation via hyperscalers

Under this strategy, SAP Cloud ERP is not just a standalone product, but a gateway into a future-proof digital business architecture. Whether customers adopt it through GROW or RISE, the message is clear: SAP delivers a consistent, integrated suite built to support transformation at every scale.

Joint Journey with Waldorf Consulting

Whether you are looking to introduce SAP Cloud ERP or switch from an existing SAP system to the cloud, Walldorf Consulting accompanies you step by step, offering practical, technology-oriented and personal guidance. We analyze your initial situation, define the right cloud strategy with you, and evaluate the appropriate deployment model & journey (GROW or RISE). We support you throughout the process, from system evaluation and architecture planning to technical implementation and team training. These are the steps we take before launching a project.

First Consultation

A no-obligation call focused on your goals and challenges, providing expert guidance from the start.

Discovery Assessment

Digital Discovery Assessment (DDA) to analyze your processes, needs, and ambitions and define the right scope and roadmap for cloud ERP.

Solution Presentation

Tailored demo and commercial proposal based on the DDA results, illustrating how the solution addresses your requirements.

Commercial Agreement

Proposal based on the defined scope from the assessment, followed by contract negotiations on licenses and services.

Project Launch

Starting with a workshop with IT and key stakeholders to define guardrails and align on project goals for strategic and operational decisions.

Next Stop: SAP Cloud ERP

SAP’s simplified product names and clearer positioning of transformation paths - GROW and RISE - make it easier than ever for organizations to understand their options and take confident steps toward the cloud. With Walldorf Consulting as your experienced transformation partner, your journey to SAP Cloud ERP becomes secure, efficient, and future-oriented. Our proven methodology, deep SAP expertise, and structured approach ensure that you stay in control while unlocking the full potential of the SAP Business Suite.

Ready to shape your future in the cloud? Get in touch with us today to start your transformation.

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