Celonis SAP data access dispute spotlights control over enterprise data in Germany
A German competition inquiry into SAP’s handling of customer-system information has intensified the Celonis SAP data access dispute, raising questions about who controls corporate process data and how it can be used.
Celonis’s software and reliance on SAP data
Celonis, a Munich-based software firm, builds process-mining tools that analyze operational workflows by drawing on data held in customers’ enterprise systems. The company’s products depend on access to logs, transactions and system records that often reside in SAP installations. Because SAP systems store extensive operational data for many large companies, Celonis and similar providers require reliable ways to read and use that information to offer analytics and optimization services.
Celonis argues that customers should be free to extract and feed their own system data into third-party applications for improved efficiency. That stance has put the firm at odds with SAP, whose enterprise software dominates many sectors and whose control of underlying system formats and access mechanisms influences what external vendors can do.
Allegations of restricted access in SAP environments
The core of the dispute centers on whether SAP has created technical or commercial barriers that make it difficult for competing software to access data in SAP systems. Critics contend such barriers could steer customers toward SAP’s own analytic offerings rather than enabling a competitive market of specialist providers. The complaint raises both technical questions — such as interfaces and compatibility — and commercial questions about licensing, fees and contractual restrictions.
Supporters of open access say technical interoperability and clear commercial terms are essential for customers to realize the full value of their enterprise data. Vendors who rely on that data for analytics claim that when access is obstructed, competition and innovation suffer, and customers lose bargaining power.
Role of the Bundeskartellamt in the investigation
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, the Bundeskartellamt, examined whether SAP’s practices unduly favor its own products by limiting competitors’ ability to use customer data. The investigation sought to determine if SAP had used technical measures or commercial conditions to impede rivals. Regulators assess whether such behavior could constitute an abuse of dominance under competition law, especially given SAP’s entrenched position in many corporate IT landscapes.
The inquiry reflects broader European scrutiny of how large platform and infrastructure providers govern access to data and interoperable features. A finding against SAP could prompt remedial measures intended to restore or guarantee access for third-party providers.
Why corporate customers want broader data portability
Companies using SAP systems often generate vast volumes of transactional and process-related data, which they view as a strategic asset. Many enterprises want to combine that data with specialized analytics from partners like Celonis to identify bottlenecks, reduce costs and improve outcomes. These customers frequently request clear, standardized ways to extract, transform and feed their SAP-based data into external applications.
For firms seeking digital transformation, the ability to integrate best-of-breed tools with existing enterprise resource planning systems is a practical necessity. When integration is cumbersome or costly, organizations can face higher vendor lock-in and slower adoption of innovative analytics that deliver measurable operational gains.
Potential implications for the enterprise software market
Should regulators conclude that SAP impeded access, remedies could range from enforced interoperability requirements to limitations on restrictive contract terms. Such outcomes would likely reverberate across the enterprise software ecosystem by clarifying the rules around data portability and third-party integration. Vendors of process-mining, analytics and cloud services could gain more direct opportunities to serve customers without negotiating bespoke terms for each implementation.
Conversely, a finding in favor of SAP would validate tighter control over its platform architecture and commercial arrangements, potentially preserving stronger vendor contracts and the status quo for platform-led analytics offerings. The decision could influence how global software suppliers design interfaces and license terms moving forward.
Industry responses and next steps
Both SAP and Celonis have publicly framed the debate in terms of customer choice and innovation, though each emphasizes different priorities. Celonis stresses the benefits of open access for competition and client outcomes, while SAP highlights concerns over system integrity, security and contractual commitments tied to enterprise deployments. Customers and independent consultants watching the case are emphasizing the need for predictable, secure pathways to integrate specialized analytics with core enterprise systems.
The Bundeskartellamt’s conclusions will be closely observed across Europe and beyond, as regulators balance competition policy with technical realities. Any formal findings or remedies could set precedents for how dominant software providers must enable third-party data use.
The outcome of this dispute will shape how enterprises control and extract value from their own operational data and whether specialized analytics vendors like Celonis can more freely compete in environments dominated by large platform providers.
