German software corporation SAP has officially launched SAP Pay, a new global payment solution integrated directly into its Cloud ERP platform, during the opening day of its annual SAP Connect 2026 conference.
The new payment service is powered by Tereina, a subsidiary of SAP, and is designed to allow businesses to process transactions directly within their existing workflows, such as when an invoice falls due. The company said the technology promises to reduce manual file handling and eliminate reliance on external payment processing systems.
Speaking during the opening keynote address of the event, which runs through Wednesday, SAP Chief Executive Officer Christian Klein demonstrated how the company's artificial intelligence tools are being deployed across business operations from human resources to finance. Klein highlighted Joule Work, a centralized AI-powered workspace, alongside Joule Assistants, which provide business context for corporate tasks.
Klein stated that enterprise artificial intelligence has reached a decisive moment, noting that Joule and the SAP Autonomous Suite are assisting major organizations including pharmaceutical maker Novartis, consumer goods company Nestlé, and professional services firm PwC to connect intelligence across operational functions for reliable corporate results.
SAP, headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, is one of the world's largest enterprise software providers, specializing in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems that allow companies to manage core business operations, accounting, and supply chain logistics within unified software environments.
Client implementation and productivity gains
During the opening session, corporate clients detailed their practical experience using SAP technology. Jill Notz, Chief Accounting Officer and Business Services leader at PwC, demonstrated an invoicing assistant developed by SAP that identifies anomalies and corrects accounting errors before invoices are formally issued.
Company executives emphasized that software must be scalable to operate at peak capacity. Joule Work enables employees to interact with SAP applications and execute tasks using both internal SAP data and external third-party information. The open technology framework allows Joule to connect with external artificial intelligence systems and software agents.
Approximately 110,000 SAP employees are already using the Joule Work platform. According to data provided by the company, internal deployment of the system has yielded a 20 percent improvement in productivity across finance, human resources, and procurement departments.
Additionally, SAP highlighted the scalability of Joule Assistants, which are capable of carrying out operational tasks directly inside corporate workflows while adhering to established data controls, user authorizations, and audit records. Corporate clients maintain complete control over the degree of autonomy granted to the automated assistants.
Data governance and security architecture
Conference presentations also focused on system governance and corporate responsibility, stressing that expanding AI capability requires centralized development environments. To address these needs, SAP introduced SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Knowledge Graph, two solutions intended to help organizations select customized models while managing the overall value and consumption of artificial intelligence.
Marielle Ehrmann, Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer, told attendees that effective governance allows organizations to expand artificial intelligence capabilities while maintaining transparency, accountability, and process control. Ehrmann emphasized that security must be incorporated directly into system design rather than added through subsequent configuration.
