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hofmann
Active Contributor
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Recently there has been a series of blogs about developing mobile applications using HTML5:

You cannot ignore it: mobile access to SAP is a hot topic. As there are also series of blogs focused on mobile business using Sybase and almost all news around SAP and mobile involve somehow Sybase, it's interessting to see what customer are using. At TechED Las Vegas I had the chance to attend some lectures about mobile applications running on BSP and SAP Portal. The Demo Jam winners demonstrated a HTML5 app. The question  now is: mobile access to SAP data by an app or HTML?

App

There are use cases where you need a local app installed on the device. MAM is a good example:

  • you'll need a local database
  • long offline time
  • complex data to be modified and
  • to be synchronized
  • background sync

Drawbacks from using apps:

  • Distributing apps is a challange, updating them too.
  • Sensitive data stored on the device; ensure security of data.
  • SAP MI, Gateway, Sybase or 3rd party mobile software bring their own infrastructure that needs to be integrated into the current landscape
  • Mobile policies change. Now the users are using Blackberry, soon  some will switch to an iPhone, Android or WM7 phone. And you'll have to  develop a version of your app for that device. Project  Gateway promises to ease this work.
  • An app for iPhone works on iPhone, but not an Android, BB or WM phone.

HTML(5)

  • simpler use cases, no RFID, tag scanner or other special device hardware needed
  • online & offline
  • local storage of data
  • can be used by mobile and standard browser (1 application for all)
  • use of mobile device features like GPS

The usual offline access mode that demands for a local app is obsolete: we are living  in an online world and being offline means that you are either offshore  or in a  plane (and that is also changing: on some planes wifi access is  already reality). The background sync from apps is sometimes not even  considered, as the user will get a notification by e-mail or initiates the activity as part of his daily routine (while beeing in the train, bus, traffic jam,). Another point to consider HTML(5) is the experience available for high number  of concurrent user access to your web server.

The maiority of use cases is online consumption of data, the interaction  sometimes is only that the user is hitting the "approved" button or to  look simple data up like the phone or e-mail adress. To consume employee  data you may use a local app (+db) and store the contact data on the  device, but you cannot store all the employee data - at least when your  company has more than 1000 employees - or company policy don't allows  it. As this data is changing, doing a sync is mandatory; you don't  want to have an outdated phone number when you need it. A feature that counts more than offline storage of these data is to asve the contact data into the devices PIM.

Considering the number of concurrent users: while I attended the  lectures at TechEd LV I left with the impression that most mobile SAP  applications are made for a small number of users. 50 users already was considered high;  and that a really big issue is the sync of the data (users of MI may  remember the DOE sync issues). Looking at the usual "simple" use cases of  mobile applications, HTML(5) is the right choice: independently whether  you are using BSP or the Portal, you already have the knowledge of a  high number of users accessing SAP data. There won't be surprises when  >50 users are accessing the application at the same time.

The technolgies available and from what I've seen at TechED is what the customers are using for their development are:

  • BSP
  • Java (NetWeaver AS Java and SAP Portal)

The problem I see in developing HTML5 apps with SAP is that  there is a gap in the solution offering from SAP: there is no offering from SAP.  If you want to develop such a HTML5 application, you'll have to do it by yourself. And mobile browsers are not really supported (Service Market  Place: PAM).

Do you want to use BSP or AS Java or the SAP Portal? Of course I only can recommended using the SAP Portal. It offers:

  • Profiles
  • Filter content based on URL (Filter ID)
  • Made for browser access
  • System landscape with SSO to backend systems
  • Caches
  • Portal services

With profiles, roles and filter ID the portal filters the navigation. Instead of having 20 apps for ESS and MSS on the home screen, the users may only have 2: ESS and MSS that open the navigation of the area in the portal depending on the associated roles of the user. With SSO, it is also possible to easily integrate other web content (ex.: ITSmobile transactions). The HTML application can reuse interfaces already in use: Web Services  and JCo/JCA/BAPI from WebDynpro applications. The same HTML5 application can be used by mobile and desktop access. No need to develop the same application several times. Once logged in the portal, the end-user can make use of the portal services like UWL, favorites, KM (download documentation), or other APIs available.

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