'Bottled up internal struggle may have triggered Sikka's exit'

SAP's India-born Executive Board Member Vishal Sikka has resigned citing personal reasons, but analysts do not rule out an internal struggle in the German software major.
Last week, SAP had said that Executive Board Member (Products and Innovation) Sikka "announced his departure from the Executive Board for personal reasons, effective immediately".
The exit of Sikka, considered the brain behind SAP's Hana platform, could affect the software major's product strategy in the short-term, analysts said.
SAP Hana is a data platform, which can be deployed as an on-premise appliance, or in the cloud. It is best suited for performing real-time analytics and developing and deploying real-time applications.

"Personal reasons can't be ruled out, but the timing is crucial. SAP's Saphhire is a few weeks away. Bottled up internal struggle could be a reason. A key person doesn't leave without a warning (before a big event)," Gartner Research Director Sunil Padmanabh told PTI.
SAP's product strategy could get affected in the short- term, he said, adding that Sikka had helped transform SAP's product business, especially with focus on cloud and mobility.

"He has coherent technology vision and leadership. His abrupt exit could affect SAP's product strategy in the short term. He brought in a balance between sales and technology," Padmanabh said.

On the leadership impact, he said: "This will also give competitors like Microsofts and Oracles of the world to grow their reach as SAP's credibility could get impacted with the sudden transition, leaving the firm without a strong second line of leadership."
Another person in know of the development said his exit is unexpected, but considering the tensions at the top level, it cannot be totally ruled out.
Sikka, who joined SAP in 2002, holds a Phd in Computer Science from Stanford University, and his experience includes research in automatic programming, information and application integration and artificial intelligence.
Son of an Indian Railways officer, Sikka completed his early education from Rosary High School (Vadodara) and studied computer engineering at MS University, Baroda.