A part of SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP Mobile Services (erstwhile ‘SAP Cloud Platform Mobile Services’) is an open, standards-based platform that allows you to develop, configure, deploy, and manage highly secure comprehensive enterprise applications. Be it native iOS, Android, or Windows, or cross-platform, the flurry of features that SAP Mobile Services provides, enable users to bring their application ideas to life and create intuitive solutions with ensured business value. With the recent acquisition of AppGyver, a no-code app development platform – SAP has strengthened its presence in the mobile application development sphere.
A range of development tools that form SAP Mobile Services, such as iOS and Android SDKs, Mobile Development Kit (MDK), SAP Mobile Cards, SAP Fiori Client, and more – offer an array of features that enable developers to create and administrators to manage.
Native iOS and Android SDKs
With Java and Kotlin as base programming languages, SAP BTP SDK for Android is built on top of Google’s Android SDK and equips Android developers with tools to craft slick Android enterprise applications using SAP Mobile Services. A delight for iOS developers, SAP BTP SDK for iOS provides components that can be used to create iOS native enterprise-level applications, making the most of a host of iPhone and iPad features. Based on the Apple Swift programming language, this SDK supplements the Swift SDK, enabling developers to use components from either or both – a gamut of pick and choose components including SAPOData, SAPFioriFlows, Apple UIKit, and more.
SAP Mobile Development Kit (MDK)
The mighty SAP MDK provides a development environment that enables business users to create customized and extendable native Android and iOS mobile applications that can also run as web apps in the browser. Employing SAP Mobile Services, SAP MDK equips you to develop multi-channel applications, deploy quick new updates to the apps, and even enhance, extend, and customize parts of the application independently as and when required.
SAP Fiori Client applications
With SAP Fiori Client, users can access their Fiori applications in a completely online setup. Built on the Apache Cordova architecture, SAP Fiori Client overcomes mobile browser limitations with a dependable caching method for Fiori applications and allows users to add system APIs as well as custom functions via plugins. From customizable branding and authentication structures to adding open-source plugins – developers can seamlessly create SAP Fiori Client applications for iOS and Android using the SAP Mobile Framework SDK.
What makes SAP Mobile Services a one-stop shop for your mobile development needs?
Scalability
Being cloud-based automatically gives it an edge over storing and managing data in volume over a single platform. A range of reusable services that are part of the offering can be employed for mobile app development as opposed to creating to scratch, taking care of the multi-functional requirements and management needs of an enterprise application. Additionally, in-depth usage analysis also enables businesses to better plan application updates and upgrades.
Business intelligence
Analytics and reporting are fundamental to a business and its mobile development strategy in this particular case. Employing features of SAP Analytics Cloud, the SAP Mobile Services suite allows you to track and analyze data as per your requirement. From generating exhaustive usage reports to real-time traffic tracking – you can do it all for your apps built using SAP Mobile Services.
Security
With technology influencing nearly all spheres of our day-to-day lives, data security is of paramount importance, even for the overall mobile services landscape. Addressing the challenge, the platform provides a highly secure environment, allowing for safe mobile data access for both on-premise and cloud-based sources. Supporting several authentication protocols, it allows you to choose as per your data protection need.
Equally intuitive in an offline mode
Offline mode – another feature that becomes vital for a mobile app development strategy, given its potential impact on the UX of the application. It’s a must for users to be able to work on an app, at all times – notwithstanding the network conditions. With the OData component, SAP Mobile Services enables apps to run seamlessly even in offline mode, hence, drastically enhancing the experience for users.
Push notifications
Push notifications are one of the key features, especially from a UX standpoint. From feature updates to event announcements, SAP Mobile Services allow you to send notifications to the entire set of business users of an application or even to a specified group using simple REST APIs.
Advantage Extentia
At our growing SAP Practice, our development team works closely with our acclaimed Experience Studio to create intuitive mobile solutions keeping various design thinking concepts into consideration. We have developed a range of highly customizable applications for our customers, using iOS as well as Android SDK on the SAP Cloud Platform, and Mobile Development Kit (MDK). We possess expertise in designing and developing mobile applications leveraging native mobile for iOS and Android, Fiori SDK for Android and iOS, SAP iOS and Android SDK, and MDK.
For one of our customers, we created a user-friendly mobile responsive web application that can be conveniently used on any device with internet connectivity, on the go. For another intuitive material management application that we recently built for a business in the education industry, we used iOS and Android SDK and SAP Cloud Identity for SSO, ensuring maximum data security. To know more about our work leveraging the gamut of features of the comprehensive SAP Mobile Services and for collaboration – write to us at inquiries@extentia.com!
Here's an infographic that encapsulates all things SAP Mobile Services:
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