What Is SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)? Features and 2026 Update

SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is SAP's SaaS solution that combines business intelligence, business planning and predictive analytics in one cloud platform. It is built natively on SAP BTP and now ships as a core component of SAP Business Data Cloud, with its own release roadmap.

As technology develops, companies generate more data than ever, and much of it sits in silos that are hard to manage. Turning that data into something meaningful, and adapting quickly to changing conditions, is exactly what SAC is built for. It also supports reporting, forecasting and risk control.

Table of Contents

What Is SAP Analytics Cloud Used For?

SAP Analytics Cloud gives decision-makers one place to analyze data, plan and simulate scenarios instead of switching between separate BI, planning and forecasting tools. It provides a secure cloud experience built to maximize data-driven decision-making. The table below summarizes its core features.

Feature	What it does
Stories	Presentation-style documents that combine images, charts and text to explain data
Analytic Applications	Custom analytical apps for deeper data analysis and planning
Models	The structured representation of business data from source systems, defining dimensions and calculations used in Stories
Planning	Lets you write values directly into table cells inside planning models
Smart Capabilities	AI-assisted features such as smart insights and predictive forecasting
Datasets	Simple tabular data collections that complement models for ad hoc analysis
SAP Digital Boardroom	A real-time, interactive presentation tool for executive reviews
Mobile App	Access stories and dashboards from a phone or tablet

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Is SAP Analytics Cloud Still Available? What Changed in 2026

Yes, SAC is very much active, with new features shipping every quarter. What changed is how new customers buy it: SAP removed SAP Analytics Cloud from the list of Eligible Cloud Services for new BTPEA, CPEA and PAYG subscriptions as of January 2, 2026. Existing agreements and tenants continue to work with no technical migration required, and SAP explicitly describes SAC as strategic and under active development. For new purchases, SAC is now delivered through SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC), which bundles SAC with SAP Datasphere, SAP Databricks and other data services on a unified data foundation.

In practice, this means: if you already run SAC, nothing forces you to change anything today. If you are buying SAC for the first time, you will most likely provision it through SAP Business Data Cloud rather than as a standalone Eligible Cloud Service.

Advantages of SAP Analytics Cloud

A single cloud solution combining business intelligence, business planning and advanced analytics.
Organizes and manages data and analytics simply from one place.
Facilitates analytical processes and provides high speed and performance.
Creates real-time analytics and saves time by planning, analyzing and acting directly within your corporate solution.
Provides insights into business data from internal and external sources.
Delivers a much more understandable result through intelligent visualization.
Integrates seamlessly into existing SAP S/4HANA systems.
Allows simulating possible future scenarios.
Works in hybrid architectures with SAP and non-SAP applications.
Supports various cloud-based data connections as well as .csv and .xlsx file uploads.

What Is SAP Analytics Cloud Embedded Edition (SAC EE)?

SAC Embedded Edition connects business applications to the SAP HANA database with a live connection, so you can analyze data without moving it. You build this by establishing a live connection between your SAC tenant and the HANA database on SAP BTP.

SAC EE Advantages

Analysis based on secure live access to business data.
Adds business intelligence features to business applications in SAP BTP with a unified user experience.
Gives business users predefined reporting, personalized access to business data, and ad-hoc analytical capabilities built into their applications.
Uses SAP HANA's in-memory technology for real-time intelligence and analytics on persistent data, so you can build smart business applications.

SAP Analytics Cloud vs SAC Embedded Edition

Standalone SAC suits teams that need a full BI, planning and predictive analytics workspace across many data sources. SAC EE suits teams that want analytics embedded directly inside a specific SAP BTP application with a live HANA connection, rather than a separate analytics tool. Many organizations use both: SAC for enterprise-wide planning and reporting, and SAC EE for analytics built into a specific app.

What Should You Check Before Adopting SAP Analytics Cloud?

Confirm how you will provision SAC today: through an existing Eligible Cloud Services agreement or through SAP Business Data Cloud.
Map your current data sources (SAP and non-SAP) and check which connectors SAC supports natively.
Decide early whether you need standalone SAC, SAC Embedded Edition, or both, since they fit different use cases.
Plan for licensing costs alongside SAP Datasphere if you are moving through SAP Business Data Cloud, since the two are increasingly bundled together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SAP Analytics Cloud being discontinued?

No. SAC remains a strategic SAP product with quarterly releases. What changed is that new customers now provision it through SAP Business Data Cloud instead of as a standalone Eligible Cloud Service, as of January 2, 2026.

What is the difference between SAC and SAC Embedded Edition?

Standalone SAC is a full BI, planning and predictive analytics platform. SAC Embedded Edition connects a specific SAP BTP application directly to the SAP HANA database for live, in-app analytics.

Does SAP Analytics Cloud replace SAP BusinessObjects?

SAC and BusinessObjects serve overlapping but distinct needs; SAC is SAP's cloud-native BI, planning and predictive platform, while BusinessObjects remains a separate on-premises and cloud BI suite. Check your specific licensing and roadmap with SAP before assuming a like-for-like replacement.

Do I need SAP Datasphere to use SAP Analytics Cloud?

Not necessarily, but SAC and SAP Datasphere are increasingly delivered together through SAP Business Data Cloud, and many analytics scenarios benefit from Datasphere's data modeling layer feeding SAC.

Conclusion

SAP Analytics Cloud remains an active, strategic platform for business intelligence, planning and predictive analytics, now delivered through SAP Business Data Cloud for new customers. Map your use case to standalone SAC or SAC Embedded Edition before you start. Contact MDP Group for support with your SAP Analytics Cloud project.