» Virtual SAP TechEd part 3

After my criticism with regards to changes in the delivery format of recorded SAP TechEd sessions (nb from now on it’s called the Premium Access Zone – PAZ), I thought I had seen the end of it. As SAP’s Amir Bilch and Chip Rodgers pointed out, there are some advantages to the new PAZ format, and whilst I still think that these still do not outweigh the disadvantages, I decided to call it a day.

However there has been an interesting statement by Amir in the TechEd forum on SDN with regards to a remark on the tremendous differences in attendance fees for Bangalore and other SAP TechEds. I bascially accused SAP of heavily subsidising the fees for the conference in India, leaving consultants elsewhere short changed. Let me set the scene:

When I first raised the issue on SDN, Chip responded:

You are correct that SAP TechEd Bangalore is priced lower than the European or US events. However, this is not done as a “giveaway” to Bangalore attendees. Each regional event has different inherint cost structures, local practices, and market expectations for such an event. Our aim is to bring the quality educational and professional networking experience of SAP TechEd to major regional markets and allow as many colleagues as possible to participate at locally appropriate and financially prudent levels of registration fee.

So SAP claims the big difference in fees is down to different cost structures, local practises and market expectations. To some degree, we all have to take SAP’s word for this.

Today I spotted Jai Shankar’s comment on the TechEd forum. He attended Bangalore TechEd and asked about PAZ access. Response was that PAZ access is only granted to attendees of Las Vegas and Amsterdam. But Amir also added:

Well, the cost of attending TechEd in Bangalore was around 10% of the cost in Amsterdam. You should be happy about that…
You can purchase a 12 month subscription to Virtual SAP TechEd ’06 for 400 USD and still come up ahead.

My interpretation of this is:

SAP admits that TechEd Bangalore is offered a lot cheaper to attendees in India, because, as it is put, they “should be happy about” only paying 10% of the fees compared to what is charged elsewhere. This obviously contradicts Chip Rodgers’ response to my earlier post.
Looks like TechEd attendance is a little game of numbers and figures, as by purchasing the subscription, you can still “come up ahead”.
Isn’t the particular poster from Bangalore being told to “put up or shut up” ?

Seems to me as if SAP’s pricing policy and service offerings for TechEd still are all over the place. Something that should be sorted out before the next TechEd conference season starts.

6 thoughts on “Virtual SAP TechEd part 3”

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Chip Rodgers

March 15, 2007 at 2:16pm

There’s no contridiction here. Amir and I both stated the same thing: Registration fee in Bangalore is lower than other locations. Also from my previous post as you quoted “Each regional event has different inherint cost structures, local practices, and market expectations for such an event. ”

Thanks for your continuing interest and support for SAP TechEd!
Regards,
Chip

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Michael

March 15, 2007 at 4:05pm

Chip,

This doesn’t make sense to me. On one hand you’re telling someone from India that they should be happy about only spending 10% of what others have to fork out. On the other you’re saying that the cost structures over there are different (which they are). Surely that means that 10% of what you spend over there equates to financial circumstances, cost of living, etc. So, taking this into account there can’t be a saving then after all, right?

But if there is (as it was put in the post – and that’s my point!), and the developers over there are supposed to be happy about it, then people elsewhere are left short changed.

I have a continuing interest in SAPTechEd as I think it is a great forum for developers to broaden skills and inform themselves about new SAP things.

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Craig Cmehil

June 11, 2007 at 12:18pm

The folks in Bangalore are not receiving a savings – you are correct “Surely that means that 10% of what you spend over there equates to financial circumstances, cost of living, etc. So, taking this into account there canâ€™t be a saving then after all” it’s a matter of choice of words – nothing more nothing less.

The only people being short changed are those not attending at all – they are missing out 🙁 I take it I’ll see you in Munich this year?

Craig