SAP Enterprise Portals comments @ TechEd08

[Former Member]

Hi TechEd08 attendees,

I did not attend SAP TechEd'08 but heard a few comments on the future of SAP Enterprise Portal from someone who attended the event. I would like to know your opinion on the same:

i) I hear that SAP showed signs of discouraging the use of Enterprise Portal, and was rather encouraging folks to use your own portal solution and integrate with SAP systems..

However, my personal understanding was that SAP has had a proven portal solution - also as an external facing solution (lately).. and if designed/architected well, it will be a used as a perfect external facing portal.

ii) Also heard that WebDynpro was not given much importance; probably not showing signs of future development using the technology;

If this is the case: what would be the preferred technology? do custom development?

iii) Another interesting comment on SAP promoting use of Microsoft development tools for .NET more than Java & ABAP webdynpros..?

So, Is SAP developing future Business Packages in .NET?

iv) Although I do not have much experience with SAP's Handheld solution; I understand that SAP solution can not support applications that would be built to run on devices like MC70 (handheld) - Any thoughts?

I am curious to know your thoughts on the above and any additional information that you'd like to share..

Thanks,

Jay

Edited by: Jayant Menon on Sep 15, 2008 11:34 AM

Edited by: Jayant Menon on Sep 15, 2008 12:17 PM

Edited by: Jayant Menon on Sep 15, 2008 12:20 PM

[Scott_Braker]

Hello Jay,

First off you should understand that second hand information is just that... Most of us have at some point in out lives played the game "Telephone".

TELEPHONE

----

---

Objective: Send messages around the circle and listen to the fun!

Categories: Groups

Game type:

Passive. Little or no movement required.

Players:

8 or more players

Needed: None

Rules: This game is intended for a large group. The group sits in a large circle. The group should be spaced about arms length apart. The "originator" starts a message. The originator whispers a short message into the ear of the person sitting to the right of them. The message is whispered once. The new messenger then whispers the message into the ear to the one to their right, and so on and so on. When the message reaches the person sitting to the left of the originator the message is announced out loud. Seldom does the message arrive in its original form. The person to the right gets to be the next originator.

Left and right variation: Start one message to the right then start a message to the left and see what happens. Tongue twisters are really fun messages to send.

Sample message: There once was a frog name Rudderfuddy who wanted to be prince. He had a tiny sword and wore a princely crown. One day he set off to find a princess in the land of Tipplebuckle. There, he discovered a castle, swam across the moat and hopped to the top of the tower where he found the princess doing situps. They kissed and in a puff of smoke she turned into a frog!

Tongue twisters: She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

The shells she sells are surely seashells.

So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

A Tudor who tooted a flute

tried to tutor two tooters to toot.

Said the two to their tutor,

"Is it harder to toot

or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.

Said the flea, "Let us fly!"

Said the fly, "Let us flee!"

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.

Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie's grammar.

________________________________________________________________________________________

I think it is important that posts like this are kept in perspective and factual rather than through second hand comments.

i) I hear that SAP showed signs of discouraging the use of Enterprise Portal, and was rather encouraging folks to use your own portal solution and integrate with SAP systems..

However, my personal understanding was that SAP has had a proven portal solution - also as an external facing solution (lately).. and if designed/architected well, it will be a used as a perfect external facing portal.

The SAP NetWeaver Portal platform is and will continue to be the linchpin of the SAP User Interface for years to come. Customers are not in any way being discouraged to install and use our Portal offering nor will SAP stopped promoting its use.

ii) Also heard that WebDynpro was not given much importance; probably not showing signs of future development using the technology;

If this is the case: what would be the preferred technology? do custom development?

WebDynpro is alive and well. It is one of the many ways that a developer can create hardcore UIs in the SAP enviroment whether they be ABAP or JAVA. SAP also has a variety of different UI creation technologies e.g.: CE, WebPage Composer etc.

The prefered development environment is the one that suits you as a best fit.

iii) Another interesting comment on SAP promoting use of Microsoft development tools for .NET more than Java & ABAP webdynpros..?

So, Is SAP developing future Business Packages in .NET?

Who did you hear this from? What session? What attendee?

iv) Although I do not have much experience with SAP's Handheld solution; I understand that SAP solution can not support applications that would be built to run on devices like MC70 (handheld) - Any thoughts?

For this I would explore the mobile site on SDN: [SAP NetWeaver Mobile|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/nw-mobile]

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I believe that in the future I would look into the product information avavailable on this site to gather some reference facts before posting second hand comments.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you need to.

-Scott

-

---

Scott Braker-Abene

SAP NetWeaver Product Management | SAP Labs, LLC