SAP Mobile Technologies: What are the Available SAP Choices for Mobile App Development
SAP Mobile Technologies is a set of techniques that enables a business enterprise to connect its end users and customers with all its systems. It is linked with SAP Mobile Platform that allows you to develop mobile applications focusing on business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) apps.
You can create both native and cross-platform applications using a wide range of preferred programming languages, software development kits (SDKs), and tools. As a developer, you are free to choose your approach. SAP will offer its full support whether you are doing backend integration, managing the onboard user or device, and designing an interactive user experience. SAP also offers robust security and scalability that allows you to connect a device to an on-premise system or cloud. You can also get in touch with about 2 million existing SAP customers through all major mobile operating system’s app store.
Let’s explore the various SAP options for Mobile App Development
SAP Cloud Platform Mobile Services
SAP Cloud Platform Mobile Services offers you a plethora of open tools that help to develop, manage, and configure the mobile applications. You are free to select your set of tools or choose the latest software development kits (SDKs) for quickly building and deploying your apps.
Key Features
The key features of SAP cloud mobile services include the application content lifecycle management, push notifications, app security and monitoring, support for on-device data storage, and usage reporting.
What Major Benefits Does it Offer
- It provides powerful cross-platform applications with effective features so that you can smoothly integrate with SAP systems.
- You can create native apps with much ease. Also, you don’t need to use any code if you have to modify the app.
- You can even enter any data in the wallet or passbook with the help of mobile card kit. The data can be assembled for both iOS and Android applications.
- It offers secured access to cloud or on-premise data sources, offline OData synchronization, and data access features.
- You can also access remote troubleshooting options such as network traces and client log uploads.
- The push notification mechanisms such as FCM or APNS allows you to notify or inform users about application updates or any other tasks,
- Get insights into solutions through reports and analyze usage information.
SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS
Next, we go to SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS. It is an SAP-based cloud platform that helps to create your own native iOS applications. If you are an iOS developer, you must know that Apple has introduced the Swift programming language to simplify the development of apps. You can also use SAP Fiori to design the user experience with the help of reusable design components. The Software Development Kit is developed on the services and capacities of SAP Cloud Platform. It helps to develop superior native apps.
The Features of SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS
When you go deeper into SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS, you can explore a few important features such as SAP Fiori for the iOS platform. SAP Fiori for iOS mentor, SDK and backend’s support for online and offline functionality, SAP Cloud Platform SDK for an iOS assistant, push notifications, logging, and tracing.
Each of these features simplifies the app development process. For example, SAP Fiori for iOS is an optimum framework that helps in designing UI components and building blocks. Also, SAP Fiori for iOS Mentor apps allows you to take control of Fiori so that you can get a preview of all the accessible UI and foundation components.
Why Develop iOS Apps Using SAP
It Speeds and Simplifies the App Development Process
If you are familiar with the Swift programming language, then it’s easier, to begin with, the iOS application development. The SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS offers a set of useful tools such as Xcode to ease the development process. It also reduces the time for coding, which allows you to focus more on app innovation. You can easily implement different functionalities such as consumer-grade usability, offline access, and powerful security.
Provides Everything Under One Roof
SAP Cloud Platform offers you the most important design and development tools in one place to create unique and innovative apps. For instance, as we discussed earlier, SAP Fiori for iOS aligns with what your project needs to provide quick ready-made design stencils to get intuitive user experience. It also helps you to design attractive fronts and themes.
You can build apps that can smoothly integrate with third-party systems and SAP platforms. It is important to note that you can use the SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS for data integration with both SAP and non-SAP systems. The tools and resources allow you to develop APIs that help in integrating data. It also simplifies the backend API development process.
It allows you to develop transformative mobile apps that are enabled with future-based technologies such as the Internet of Things, Machine Learning, and Automated Translation.
Easy to Learn Language
Since Swift is an easy programming language, you can learn the entire app development lifecycle at any stage. You also have access to tutorials and tools like SAP Fiori Mentor. It helps in the configuration of UI controls.
Reduce the Risks with Subscription-Based Tools
SAP offers subscription-based tools and supports so that you can build elegant designs and engaging apps. The subscription-based model also allows developers to demonstrate and test their apps on a quick note. You don’t need to pay for on-premise infrastructure or any other additional hardware services.
Generate Revenue With Attractive Apps
You are aware that mobile apps have become a great source of revenue generation with all the amazing features and beautiful designs. Increase more app traffic by engaging more customers and converting them into potential buyers.
SAP Cloud Platform SDK for Android
Like iOS developers, Android developers also get a facility for SAP Cloud Platform SDK for Android. It is a comprehensive platform that helps you to create highly scalable native apps using Android Studio. The programming language in Android is Java or Kotlin.
Plus, it is very important to follow the SAP Fiori Guidelines for Android app development. Again, the role of Fiori is app design whereas, the SDK helps you to tap functions and services available on SAP Cloud Platform.
The Features
The feature of SAP Cloud Platform SDK for Android is almost similar to its iOS counterpart. For example, like SAP Fiori for iOS, one comes across SAP Fiori for Android. It helps you to implement the elements of Material Design and includes Android design components, UI elements, and building blocks that speed up the development process.
You also find SAP Cloud Platform SDK for Android Wizard, which is a kind of plugin that enhances the development’s efficiency. The wizard develops a fully functional and operational project offering connectivity to mobile services.
Like iOS, the SDK and backend mobile services help Android apps to run both in online and offline mode. Users get all the updated information about apps through push notifications. The notification will be upgraded using the REST API that integrates with Firebase Cloud Messaging.
The Cloud Platform SDK also provides the logging facility so that users can log messages easily with various severity levels to different kinds of destinations.
Benefits
SAP Cloud Platform President and CTO of SAP SE Bjoern Goerke believe that Google’s alignment with the powerful SAP Cloud Platform will simplify the development of native SAP Fiori apps and that developers can take advantage of the new SDK for Android.
SAP’s collaboration with Google Android also brings forth various other benefits such as managing configurations or app restrictions. Besides, different Android management features such as security tools and work profile coordinate well Android apps developed using SAP Cloud Platform SDK.
And that’s not all. Cloud Platform SDK allows developers to create mobile applications that can benefit from SAP Enterprise services. The UX-based tool also helps in implementing key features such as push notifications, offline storage, wiring SAP platforms, and others. SAP Asset Manager for Android is indeed the first application to use the new SDK. It is under the preview in the current SAPPHIRE NOW event.
Mobile Development Kit
Mobile Development is an essential software tool allowing you to create native mobile applications. The tool offers you a cross-native platform experience so that it becomes easier to develop the app once and deploy the same on both Android and iOS devices.
The Main Functionalities of the Mobile Development Kit
Development Editor
The application development is a web-based editor plugin for SAP Web IDE. It uses drag-and-drop UI elements and wizards. The development editor comprises a page editor to create or manage pages. There is also an action editor that performs various tasks such as managing the navigable data, message, barcode scanning, and more.
Android and iOS Clients
The main function of iOS and Android clients are running applications both online and offline. It also exhibits the latest SAP Fiori look and native controls It supports international standards to meet the user requirements and improve the app adapter.
Reusable Components
The development of reusable components allows personalization and extension of the existing Mobile Development Kit (MDK) applications. The reusable components are autonomous applications consisting of pages, actions, rules, and global variables. As they are independent apps you can develop, test or update them separately from the main or primary MDK apps. Thus, you can easily customize these apps due to these features.
Data Usage in Offline Mode
The Mobile Development Kit also helps you to use the offline store, which makes it easier for the users to interact with data anywhere. You can also add offline features such as media upload, list page, and more into the app through actions. MDK takes care of the rest of the things.
Cross-Platform Native
Mobile Development Kit boosts the power and performance of a native application. You can create the application and deploy it to mobile services using metadata and JavaScript in the editor; translating the same to native code at runtime.
Extension for VS Code
The extension is built with an aim to support the MDK app development throughout the app development lifecycle process. It helps the developers to create and debug MDK apps efficiently using a local environment.
SAP Mobile Cards
The next SAP option for mobile app development is SAP Mobile Cards that allows you to virtually share data from any backend to cross-platform devices (Android and iOS). The shared data is available in a mobile-friendly format with SAP Mobile Cards from SAP Cloud Mobile Services.
Key Functionalities of SAP Mobile Cards include-
Push Notifications
SAP Cloud Platform Mobile Services makes use of both Google’s Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple’s Push Notification to notify the SAP Mobile Cards client about the availability of new content. The client automatically reaches for the content.
Share Data from Fiori Applications
Users can choose content from the SAP Fiori Launchpad and share the card deck on the device. They can select the content after its configuration and add the same to their app on the mobile device. Once it gets added to the mobile, they can successfully add the card.
Offline Capabilities
Users can read the content even without an internet connection in their mobile device. The most upgraded version of the card content can be stored in the card.
iPhone Functionalities
You can use the iPhone Spotlight feature to search for cards to get across information. Similarly, you can use the iPhone Shake Gesture to identify a card with a timestamp or address or both. You need to shake the device so that the card within a location or timestamp gets displayed. The card allows you to rapidly call, email, text message, and edit content using native iOS apps.
Fiori Templates
Fiori templates allow system administrators to determine a new card type and develop a card based on the type of data showcasing. It also makes them available to end users to get published in SAP Mobile Cards.
Interaction
Mobile Cards also plays a key role in getting user input, such as approval or rejection of a request. It lets users review their requests, make a decision and their choice is sent to the server for the next step.
Mobile Backend Generator
You can easily develop and deploy an OData service with the help of a new Mobile Backend Generator. But first, let’s define the term. It is a set of tools included with SAP Web IDE. It interacts with SAP Cloud Platform Mobile Services. Users can access the tools with an upgraded version of the Mobile Development Kit (MDK). However, only a trial version is available.
The first step here is to set-up your environment. The SAP Web IDE Full Stack needs to be necessarily enabled. Next, you need to choose the box under the’Take Action’ option and choose ‘Go to Service’.
Similarly, you have to keep following the instructions for creating and deploying OData Service with the help of Mobile Backend Generator.
Wrapping it Up
SAP Mobile Technologies provides an array of integrated sets of development tools that help you in connecting various backend systems and mobile apps. Whatever SAP option you choose for mobile development, it offers comprehensive end-to-end benefits so that you can deliver a highly responsive application that enhances the customer experience.
Are you looking for a reliable SAP partner to develop an interactive and intuitive mobile application using SAP technology, then get in touch with the professionals today!
