Need advise on accesing SAP via mobile

[Former Member]

Hi Gurus,

In our company we have ECC6.0 with EHP6.0 ...

Currently we have had webservice SOA access between company website and SAP . Hence if you enter into company website from desktop or laptop by entering www.abc.com  and clicking an item to see their price . website will make a call to SAP via SOA webservice call  and playing back and forth .

But My question regarding customers who access our website VIA their mobile :-

Currently customers who have mobiles (eg : Iphone or Samsung..) accessing our website via their mobile  by  entering www.abc.com  and then they look at catalogue and placing an order .

what is the best way for Mobile customers to access SAP directly . ?

Do they need to access from mobile to SAP as how currently it is ..? or

Any best way like develop an App and access to SAP ?

In case of Mobile App to be developed ...what are the softwares or tech settings we should have in our SAP environment ..

Please provide your valuable Answers ..

Appreciate your help..

Kind regards

Rama

[midhun_vp · Accepted solution]

It is possible to develop mobile apps that connects SAP servers/any servers. The solution is through the use of Sybase Unwired Platform (Now it is SAP Mobile Platform). SAP is world number one providing mobile solutions.

The best way to access the SAP system from the devices is through mobile app rather using a website in a small from factor device. By understanding these most of the companies came with their own apps to maximize their business in this competitive world. One of the biggest example is the Mobile Banking.

Sybase Unwired Platform is a middle-ware between SAP and mobile devices. Few advantages of SUP is given below:

• Device heterogeneity – Supporting the rapidly expanding and changing selection of

  devices and device operating systems on the market.

• Data partitioning for mobile applications – Separating and securing data storage from

  the applications running on the device.

• Data transport and application security – Securing data while in transport and while

  accessed by the application.

• Bandwidth, latency, and connectivity issues – Managing multiple connections,

  coordinating synchronization and caching of data between the EIS and devices, and

  allowing field workers to work in always connected, occasionally connected, or

  sometimes connected environments

• Device management devices, and the application life cycle – Managing device and

  application life cycles, including device upgrades and turnover, deployment of application

  updates and new applications, with limited interruption to productivity.

The environment should have an SUP server to develop the app. Please contact the SAP for more details.

- Midhun VP

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Midhun ,

Thanks ,

Is SUP running on SAP netweaver? or a separate server  running on windows ?

To develop app in SUP environment  , what skills we need ? and what are the softwares required ..?

Is there anything we need to develop in order for SUP app to access SAP ..?

any example or tutorial on SUP development ?

Appreciate your help ...

Kind Regards

Rama

[midhun_vp · Accepted solution]

SUP is a separate server running on a windows.

The depends on the requirement. Mainly we can classify the SAP mobile app development as Native apps and Hybrid apps.

If you want to develop native apps means you need the following skills based on the device platform you are targeting.

• IOS - Objective C
• BB & Android - Java
• Windows - C#

If you are planning to develop a hybrid app means you need following skills

• HTML
• JavaScript
• CSS

Hybrid apps will work in all the platforms (IOS, Android, BB, Win etc). But the performance will be less when compared to native apps. It is called light weight apps. It is mainly used for approval kind of scenarios like Purchase order approval, PR approval etc.

Native apps will have the capability to work even the device is offline. You can perform operations even the device is offline (View data, update data etc). Once the device comes online the changes made will be updated to the SAP.

Native apps can be developed using SUP only, Netweavver Gateway only and NW Gateway+SUP (In this case SUP will be used only for Proxy configuration for more security). Offline capabilities will not be available in the last two case(In future it may be added).

Recently SAP released a group of apps called FIORI which is developed based on the web technologies like HTML, Javascript and SAPUI 5.

So there are lot of options to develop the app based on the requirement.

Hope it helps.

- Midhun VP

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Midhun ,

Thanks for your reply ...

As I am a SAP consultant , I would prefer to go for technologies like HTML, Javascript and SAPUI 5.

As I understand from your replies , Apps development will happen at SUP only ...

does it mean that HTML , JavaScript and SAP UI will be used only in SUP ? or SAP UI5 will be used in SAP ?

what is the role of HTML , JavaScript and SAP UI5 and where it is being used either in SUP or SAP ?

Appreciate if I get more advise  on tech APPs development  ..----  Development

As a SAP consultant , to start APPs development with HTML , JavaScript & SAP UI 5 in terms of system just we need SUP server to be installed along with SAP netweaver? -- System requirement

As I am new to this mobile ...my questions  might be silly ..

Appreciate your help ...

Kind Regards

Rama..

[midhun_vp · Accepted solution]

First thing you have to understand is that there are different ways to develop mobile app that connects to SAP server.

Some of the technologies that helps to do that are NW gateway, SUP and Syclo.

SAPUI5 is a new technology to develop mobile app using the web technologies like HTML5, JavaScript and CSS, developed by SAP. We can say that it is similar to PhoneGap or Appcelerator. SAPUI5 and SUP is independent.

If you are having skills in HTML, Javascript and CSS you can make use of to develop hybrid apps. The hybrid apps (SAPUI5, PhoneGap, Appcelerator will comes under this) will be connected to SAP via NW gateway Odata services.

Using SUP also hybrid apps can be developed. Hybrid web container apps in SUP are of those type.

Does it mean that HTML , JavaScript and SAP UI will be used only in SUP ? or SAP UI5 will be used in SAP ?

SAPUI5 and SUP is independent. SAPUI5 can be used even without SUP.

what is the role of HTML , JavaScript and SAP UI5 and where it is being used either in SUP or SAP ?

SAPUI5 is used to develop SAP mobile apps using the technologies HTML5, Javascript and CSS.

As a SAP consultant , to start APPs development with HTML , JavaScript & SAP UI 5 in terms of system just we need SUP server to be installed along with SAP netweaver?

If you are going to use SAPUI5 there is no need of SUP server. You need a NW gateway to connect to SAP via Odata services.

If you want to develop HWC/hybrid apps you need a SUP server.

- Midhun VP

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thats really great Midhun,...

You have given me lot more indepth insight about various SAP mobile techs..

In some of the article , they even talked about Eclipse with SAP UI5 , what is that for ? is that just an editior ?

Appreciate and many thanks for your help..

Kind regards

Rama

[JimSpath · Accepted solution]

> , they even talked about Eclipse with SAP UI5 , what is that for ? is that just an editior ?

As Moderator, I am going to lock this message and mark it "assumed answered".  Please do more research before posting basic questions such as "What is Eclipse."

[MODERATOR]

[Former Member]

Hi Rama,

Instead of going directly to SUP/SMP (which is quite an investment) you could start with free tools like SAP Netweaver Gateway (for the service layer) and SAPUI5 for the UI layer.

Your requirements don't sound as if they justify investment into a fully fledged mobile platform.

Br Jan

[Former Member]

Hello Jan ,

Thanks for your reply ..

What is the difference in terms of operationalwise going for SAP NW GW with SAP UI5 and SUP /SMP?

How do I know our system is having installed with SAP UI5 ? is there any development documentation available anywhere for this approach?

Appreciate your help,

Kind Regards

Rama ..