"What argumentation?" responds the subject. "You mean 'wacko'? No, I would show what you have to your customers and to your prospects.

The subject then goes on to cite another database expert, the late Jim Gray of Microsoft, who four years ago foretold some of the developments Plattner and SAP are now looking to exploit: "In 2006, [Gray] predicted, 'Disk is yesterday's tape.'

"This is happening now; we are at an inflection point, and we will see in-memory databases with unlimited access, we can support any application which speaks SQL, we can do completely new applications like predictive analytics."

The 8-minute dual-Plattner video's intriguing—and if SAP can pull off what Plattner the subject promises, then the ongoing benefit to customers and the escalated competition with Oracle could be even more intriguing.

RECOMMENDED READING: Global CIO: An Open Letter To SAP Chairman Hasso Plattner Global CIO: 10 Things SAP's Co-CEOs Should Focus On Global CIO: Inside SAP: 10 Factors Behind Its Dramatic Turnaround Global CIO: SAP's Last Chance: It's The Customers, Stupid! Global CIO: SAP's McDermott Slaps Back At Oracle, Refocuses On Customers Global CIO: Oracle's Ellison Challenges IBM, NetApp, And—Well—Everyone Global CIO: Larry Ellison's Nightmare: 10 Ways SAP Can Beat Oracle Bob Evans is senior VP and director of InformationWeek's Global CIO unit.

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