SAP Revs Sapphire 2008 With Eric Clapton

SAP's Sapphire 2008 conference this week drew more than 15,000 attendees to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

Former NBC anchorman and author Tom Brokaw delivered an opening keynote speech at Sapphire 2008 in Orlando.

Brokaw, who regaled the audience with stories of his years as a reporter, compared the current "challenging times" with the turbulent 60s. The former anchorman said the 2008 election is an opportunity for politics in America "to reclaim the middleground" from the polarized left and right.

"Business model innovation is more important than product innovation," SAP Co-CEO Henning Kagermann, said in a keynote. SAP will provide business process management tools in its NetWeaver platform starting in the third quarter.

(Left to right) Bill McDermott, president and CEO, SAP Americas and Asia Pacific Japan; co-CEO Henning Kagermann, and co-CEO Leo Apotheker, at a Sapphire press conference.

Kagermann, at the press conference, said SAP has slowed the rollout of its Business ByDesign applications while the company works to lower the total cost of ownership of the on-demand applications.

Eric Clapton (foreground) and his band entertained about 10,000 Sapphire attendees at a concert at the Amway Arena in Orlando Tuesday night.

Eric Clapton and his band played such classics as "Before You Accuse Me," Driftin' Blues," "Rockin Chair" and "Cocaine."

Clapton (left) jams with his fellow band member.

Even fans way in the back of the arena had a good view thanks to projections of Clapton and his band on giant screens above the stage.

Clapton (foreground) and his band played for nearly two hours.

Clapton (right) shows why he earned the nickname "Slow Hand" by making playing the blues look easy.

It was a little after 11:00, not midnight, when Clapton and his band wrapped up the concert.

SAP rival Oracle, never missing an opportunity, bought advertisements on all the pedicabs around the convention center during Sapphire. But this driver said the move killed business. "No one wants to ride in a pedicab with advertising from a competitor," he lamented.