Something about SAP Service Marketplace (S-user or S*user) ID

For beginners to SAP it not very clear what does it mean if we talking about S-user or S* ID. What is SAP S user ID thus? Is just a unique user ID with which you can access OSS portal page. This is what we also call as SAP Service Marketplace. Just mention briefly OSS or Marketplace is SAP portal for all its customers/partner with all the relevant information about their software, documentations, additional information, installations/patches to download etc. OSS is available with following link: service.sap.com

All links on main page marked as asterisk (*) are available only when you have such the S* ID. OSS is asking for it like following:

ID as itself has 10 digits followed by S character. There is logic behind this. I tried to put it to following bullets:

S - For customers (Licensed Customers and SAP Partners) it usually ID starts with S. Also if you obtained your S* ID via SAP certification is it most likely starts with S.

I - SAP’s internal employees (International based) are having different letter as prefix.

D - Similarly SAP internal employees based in Germany have this letter.

C - Is reserved for SAP’s contractors. Similarly if you are contractor for directly with SAP you may get S* ID starting with X.

P - Public User (P-user) on SCN. See blog here for information how to get public user.

? - I’ve have heard that platinum consultants have also some special prefix?

Here comes most important thing you might be interesting. How to get such S* ID? This depends on your condition.

If you are working for a customer/partner of SAP just ask your Service Marketplace extranet super administrator within your organization. If you do not know who is it but you know someone who has an access to Marketplace ask the guy to find out person as following: While he/she is logged into marketplace there is “Display my Super-administrators” item available in left pane under “My Portal Profile”:

Then you can ask person identified as Superadministrator to request S* ID for you.

If you are independent SAP consultant usually you get new ID on every new project that you join. If you would like to have your own ID you can get it while you undertake any of SAP certification.

There is SAP Note component dedicated to S* ID: XX-SER-SAPSMP-USR

For all the videos on topic how to handle S* ID user review following note:

1502753 - "How To" videos in the SAP Service Market Place TV Channel on YouTube

Or follow account SAPsmkp on twitter

Or see SDN wiki page: https://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/SMP/Home

- 20/07/2011 update - 
How to Add a New User in SAP Service Marketplace
How to Create a Support Message in SAP Service Marketplace

- 13/05/2014 update - 
Added different S* ID starting letters and following links:
SAP Service Marketplace FAQs and Technical Requirements
Global Support Customer Interaction - intro to SMP

- 21/08/2015 update - 

Added more different S* ID into bullets.

- 26/09/2015 update - 

Added information about P - Public user.