Lesson 5 of 6
Deployment and AI Unit realities
10 min
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Two practical questions decide what Contoso can actually switch on: does this Joule capability work with our system? and how is it paid for? The answers differ between SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, Private Edition and on-premise, and between base and premium AI.
Deployment: Public, Private, on-premise
| Deployment | Joule in the apps | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition | Broadest and earliest coverage | New Joule capabilities usually arrive here first |
| SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition | Supported from release 2021 within RISE with SAP, in SAP-managed data centers | Capability coverage varies by release (SAP lists it in SAP Note 3523238); after an upgrade, the system must be updated in the Joule formation to get new capabilities; some integrations were in Early Adopter Care in October 2026 |
| SAP S/4HANA on-premise (customer-run) | Not covered by SAP's standard Joule integration guidance | Get written confirmation from SAP before planning; custom skills through Joule Studio and Cloud Connector are a different, build-it-yourself route |
| SAP ECC | No standard Joule | Joule is part of the move to SAP's cloud offerings |
Where standard Joule works, as documented in October 2026. Verify against SAP Help and your contract.
Contoso runs Private Edition 2025 under RISE, so standard Joule is available, but not every capability that SAP demonstrates for Public Edition. Before Maria promises a capability to her team, she checks three places: the SAP Help Portal page for the capability (it names the products and releases), the SAP Discovery Center AI catalog (status and metric), and SAP for Me (what Contoso can provision).
Base AI, premium AI and AI Units
SAP's model has two tiers. Base AI is included in the cloud subscription at no extra cost: many Joule navigational and informational skills and many embedded features. Premium AI is paid for with AI Units, which SAP defines as a virtual currency for consuming premium AI. Each premium capability has its own metric: per agent action, per AI request, or per user per month. SAP has described AI Units as purchased annually, pooled across SAP solutions, and expiring after 12 months if unused. You size them with the AI Estimator in the SAP Discovery Center and watch consumption in SAP for Me.
- CheckCapability page in SAP Help: products, releases, base or premium
- SizeAI Estimator in the SAP Discovery Center for premium items
- BuyAI Units through the account team (annual, pooled)
- ProvisionSAP for Me: activate the capability for the system
- MonitorSAP for Me: balance and consumption per premium feature
A simple example shows how the pieces fit for Contoso. Navigating to apps and asking for open items through Joule in CMP is base AI: Contoso provisions Joule, assigns business roles and tests it. A Joule Agent for dispute creation is premium: Grace needs AI Units, Priya needs an evaluation plan, and Dan must accept the controls. Joule for Consultants seats for the support team are premium per user. Joule for Developers for Kenji’s team is premium per request or per user, depending on the contract. Four capabilities, four different approvals: that is why the AI inventory records the commercial model for each one.
Status labels and how they change
Statuses differ by product and edition: a capability can be generally available for Public Edition while still in Early Adopter Care for Private Edition. Pricing changes too. SAP has moved capabilities between base and premium before, and promotional periods end, as Joule for Developers showed on 30 September 2026. Contoso handles this with a quarterly review: Maria and Grace re-check every capability in the AI inventory against SAP Help, the Discovery Center and SAP for Me, and after major SAP events such as SAP TechEd (27 to 29 October 2026). Anything that changed status or price goes to the steering group with its impact on scope, tests and budget.
What would you do?
A sales presentation shows a Joule capability for Public Edition. Maria wants it for Contoso's Private Edition 2025 system next month. What should she do first?
- Coverage is broadest in Public Edition; Private Edition is supported from 2021 within RISE, with capabilities varying by release (SAP Note 3523238).
- Standard Joule is not documented for customer-run on-premise systems; get SAP's written confirmation before planning.
- Base AI is included; premium AI uses AI Units, with metrics per action, request or user.
- Check SAP Help, the Discovery Center and SAP for Me before promising a capability.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Which SAP Note lists Joule capability availability by release for Private Edition?
2. What is an AI Unit?
3. Contoso upgraded its Private Edition system. What does SAP say is needed to get the latest Joule capabilities?
4. Where do you see AI Unit consumption per premium feature?