Is it neccesary to be in the java technology space to be an SAP IT expert

[Former Member]

I have been working for a while in .NET domain for a while and feel netweaver is being tied to java. Let me know your thoughts on this. Most of SAP back end systems run on Microsoft technologies. So is it not rudimentary that .NET should be given a fair share.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

The issue of programming language for development is one that we have discussed in great depth with our industry partners. Since we are a Computer Science department, our desire is to focus on the development side of ERP systems.

Far and away the biggest language in demand in our region is ABAP. Every one of our industry partners wants to know when we are going to begin teaching ABAP classes. They cannot meet the demand they have for developers with that skill (and these are large multinational companies and government contractors, approximately 20 in number).

Further down the list, but still of interest is Java-based ERP development. None of our partners prioritize this, but they recognize it is a useful skill and something that does come up from time to time. The comments they have passed on is that Java is fairly simple to pick up and a commonly known language. This skill is not in high demand by our partners and they can readily meet any demand that does come up.

.NET has not come up at all in our conversations other than my asking about it. Not a single one of our partners expressed a need in this area. When I have asked about it the general response has been "I suppose others might be interested, but we aren't."

As to your question of whether this is right or good, all I know is that it is what it is. SAP is platform agnostic. Java is as well. .NET cannot make that claim. I suspect that is a major factor here.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I'd also add that even though Java may be fairly common, students do need a familiarity with the SAP Java stack, especially the WebDynpro technology and Composition tools in NW. ABAP won't be going away any time soon, but these new tools are becoming the "window" into the core of SAP. UI design, composite applications, enterprise services, etc, are all the new things that students are going to be thrown into very quickly when they enter the workforce. I'd also say that it would be a much easier path to teach it to them in universities than trying to re-skill an experienced ABAPer that's already out making money.

Net-Net: you don't need to be a Java expert to be in the SAP world, but more and more of the things around SAP are in the Java space, so you'll need to be familiar with how SAP works with the Java stack. .Net is still important too, but its not nearly as deeply tied to the SAP core, much more of a side-by-side situation.