Ariba CI9: A Legacy Integration Solution Nearing End-of-Life

Ariba CI9, once a popular cloud integration solution for connecting Ariba with SAP NetWeaver, is nearing its end-of-life. As of December 31st, 2023, Ariba will no longer provide support for CI9, leaving users with two options: migrate to Ariba’s Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG) or find alternative integration solutions.

This blog post will serve as a resource for those using Ariba CI9. We’ll discuss CI9’s key features, the reasons for its retirement, and the migration path to CIG.

What was Ariba CI9?

Ariba CI9 was a cloud-based integration platform designed to streamline data exchange between Ariba and SAP NetWeaver. It offered functionalities like:

• Pre-built adapters for Ariba Network and SAP Business Suite
• Data mapping capabilities for transforming data between different formats
• Support for various business processes, including purchase orders, invoices, and catalogs

While CI9 provided a convenient solution for SAP Ariba integrations, its reliance on older technologies and limited scalability led to its eventual obsolescence.

Why is Ariba CI9 Being Retired?

Several factors contributed to Ariba’s decision to sunset CI9:

• End of support for underlying technologies: The technology stack supporting CI9 has reached its end of life, making it difficult and expensive for Ariba to maintain.
• Focus on Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG): CIG is Ariba’s next-generation integration platform offering a modern architecture, improved scalability, and broader functionality.
• Security concerns: Maintaining an outdated platform can introduce security vulnerabilities.

Migrating from Ariba CI9 to CIG

Ariba has established a migration program to help customers transition from CI9 to CIG. There are two primary options for migration:

• CIG Add-on: This option leverages a pre-built connector for directly integrating Ariba Buying and Invoicing with your SAP ERP system. However, it’s currently limited to SAP ERP deployments.
• Full CIG Enablement: This option involves deploying a complete CIG instance along with a new Ariba implementation. It offers more flexibility but requires a more significant investment.

Conclusion

The retirement of Ariba CI9 marks the end of an era for SAP Ariba integrations. Migrating to CIG is the recommended path to ensure continued support, access to advanced features, and improved security. By planning your migration strategy early, you can minimize disruption and leverage the full potential of CIG for your Ariba integrations.