If there’s one thing SAP has proven over the decades, it’s this: Nothing is more constant than change. With SAP Sales & Service Cloud v2 (SSCv2) gaining traction, maturing technically, and finally finding its place in the CRM market, 2026 feels like a good moment to look ahead. Not with a crystal ball, but with a wink — and a bit of realism. So here are a few predictions for 2026. Some are funny. Some are uncomfortable. Some might be closer to the truth than we’d like to admit.
Prediction #1: SSCv2 Gets a New Name
Let’s start with the obvious one. By 2026, SAP may rename SAP Sales & Service Cloud v2 (SSCv2).
We predict that SAP Sales & Service Cloud v2 will be renamed to SAP CRM Cloud. That’s a bold SAP prediction, but it makes sense, since this name is Shorter, simpler, cleaner! And no real connection to Salesforce’s Sales Cloud. Jokes aside, SAP has a long tradition of renaming products once they:
- reach technical maturity, and
- need clearer market positioning.
Rebranding SSCv2 to something closer to “CRM” might actually make sense — especially for customers who never stopped searching for “SAP CRM, but modern.”
Prediction #2: “Clean Core” Becomes a Contract Clause
In 2026, “Clean Core” will no longer be:
- a slide,
- a marketing slogan,
- or a best-practice recommendation.
Instead, it will appear as:
“Customer confirms that all extensions are side-by-side and upgrade-safe.”
Customers will proudly say:
“Yes, we’re clean-core compliant.”
…while still running 17 integration flows, 12 mashups, and one mysterious legacy service nobody dares to touch.
But overall, this is a good thing. The architectural discipline enforced by S/4HANA and SAP Sales and Service Cloud v2 is slowly changing how teams design SAP projects.
Prediction #3: S/4HANA Momentum Makes SSCv2 the “Default” Choice
By 2026, organizations will drive SSCv2 adoption less through CRM feature comparisons and more through S/4HANA momentum. As companies rush to meet the 2027 deadline for mainstream maintenance support for SAP ECC, the cleanup continues for CRM. And to follow Clean Core principles in S/4, keeping a tightly coupled or heavily customized CRM becomes increasingly unattractive.
Companies will often choose SSCv2 not because it was their original plan, but because it naturally aligns with the architectural direction imposed by S/4HANA.
In many organizations, the decision will sound like this:
“If we’re serious about Clean Core in S/4, SSCv2 is simply the logical continuation.”
And that’s how SSCv2 quietly gains momentum — by alignment, not hype.
Prediction #4: With SSCv2 SAP becomes a leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant
In 2026, no one will expect it — yet it will be a logical consequence of the previous SAP prediction. As S/4HANA adoption continues to accelerate, SAP will openly celebrate its comeback in the CRM space. And there are solid reasons behind it.
Heavily customized Salesforce landscapes are increasingly perceived by customers as powerful, but expensive to run and evolve. Subscription costs, customization overhead, and long-term dependency are becoming more visible — especially in times of tighter budgets.
As a result, some former SAP CRM customers will start looking back to their roots and start asking:
- How to reduce subscription costs due to and expensive, but custom-tailored Salesforce?
- How to simplified integrations between a CRM solution and SAP S/4HANA?
- How quickly we can cut fixed costs?
The key question they’ll ask won’t be about features anymore, but about sustainability:
“In 2026, with budget constraints in place, how can we reduce subscription costs without losing architectural control?”
And that question will quietly reopen the CRM conversation — in SAP’s favor.
Prediction #5: SAP Will Call This “A Bold Step Forward”
No matter what happens — rename, repositioning, or restructuring — one phrase is guaranteed to survive into 2026:
“This is a bold step forward.”
And honestly?
In many areas, it actually will be.
Final Thought: Jokes Aside — Something Is Changing
Behind the humor, one thing is clear: SSCv2 represents a fundamental shift in how SAP thinks about CRM.
- Cleaner architecture
- Stronger separation of concerns
- Real extensibility
- Fewer hidden traps (and fewer Z-tables)
Whether it’s called SSCv2, SAP CRM Cloud, or something entirely new in 2026 — the direction is set. And if SAP does announce a rename?
We’ll all smile, update our slides… and move on 😉
See you! — maybe at the next Morning Redcup episode. ☕
