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TammyPowlas
Active Contributor

This was another ASUG webcast on Mobile BI 4.4 given by SAP’s viswanathan.ramakrishnan  and  karsten.ruf. Previous blog is here covering BI4 Dashboards.  This blog covers SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio , Crystal Reports, enhancements, future plans and question & answer from the webcast.

Note that things are subject to change (usual disclaimer) as this is functionality that it is not yet generally available.

Figure 1: Source: SAP

Figure 1 shows that Design Studio has a WYSIWYG design environment

Use Eclipse in other products such as HANA Studio and eclipse provides a common tool- expose to common UI interface

Functionality includes buttons, tabs, dropdown menus

It uses a subset of JavaScript

Figure 2: Source: SAP

Figure 2 shows the SAP Dashboarding strategy

Figure 3: Source: SAP

Figure 3 shows that Design Studio comes with pre-delivered templates for both the desktop and iPad

Figure 4: Source: SAP

Figure 4 shows a sample P&L using Design Studio built by the SAP Runs SAP IT team.

Crystal Reports

Figure 5: Source: SAP

Mobile 4.4 will allow you to access Crystal in a more interactive form

It offers drill through charts, sections, and external links

You can interact with the reports

You can sort the report using sort controls

Zoom through report using native iPad gestures

As Figure 5 shows you can filter report content with prompts

You will have the ability to annotate, collaborate on Mobile 4.4 content

Enhancements


Figure 6: Source: SAP

Figure 6 shows geo map enhancements  that provide the ability to assign colors to measures – green yellow red

The size of bubble is driven based on measure value

It has the ability to show all associated values in a single value bubble

Figure 7: Source: SAP

Figure 7 shows that Mobile BI 4.4 will offer support for hyperlinks.

Figure 8: Source: SAP

Figure 8 covers usability enhancements, including enhancements to hierarchical prompts with the ability to select from parent node

Platform Support

Figure 9: Source: SAP

Figure 9 shows platform support levels.

Sample demo screens shown follow:

Home screen

Summary:

Mobile BI will support dashboards, Design Studio, Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports.  To take advantage of this you will need to be on BI4 SP05

Planned for future:

Figure 12: Source: SAP

Mobile BI SDK is planned as a library to allow customers to customize and extend the application.

Question & Answer (answers provided by SAP)

Q: is Android supported?

A: You can find the recording of the Android webcast at http://jive.asug.com/docs/DOC-32820

(You'll need to be logged-in to ASUG.com)

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Q: is Crystal mobile enables for CR 2011 or CR Ent?

A: Both contents

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Q: what version of flex are html 5 components written in?

A: The html output is not based on the flex output. These are two different outputs that dashboard design software will deliver

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Q: Will Mobile 4.4 support BEx variables?

A: BEx variables are supported from our 4.2 version onwards.

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Q: [Question] Does the distribution-model for these iPad applications allow for "Generic Public Access" to the report content (eg. Govt disclosure of Budgets / Expenses) - or do the report consumers need to have an Enterprise account...?

A: We support the enterprise authentication. you need to be authenticated to view any content from the BI Platform

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Q: Could you clarify the connectivity limitation: "only query panel based data connectivity" ?

A: Dashboards in Mobile BI 4.4. must be utilizing Query Panel based connectivity, if you are using web services or live office, they are not supported for the current version

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Q: so what do I do with the custom components that I developed to mobile enable these?  Is there still an SDK?

A: In our first version in 4.4 we are not supporting the SDK, but this will be available in future versions

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Q: Are Webi documents (map enabled config) supported with iOS 6 (since google map is not available)

A: We use the native iOS API's for maps, so the maps functionality will work fine with iOS6

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Q: When will the app version 4.4 be available on Apple App Store?

A: We anticipate the application would be available by Mid of December in apple app store

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Q: 4.4 is what?  the mobi server?

A: 4.4 is the client version of MObile BI

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Q: how much does the mobi server cost?

A: Mobile engine license is available in two different models via BI Platform license and a la carte license. You may contact your account executive for the latest pricing information

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Q: What's the difference between the Dashboard (Xcelsius) and Design Tool, or are they the same thing?

A: Today design tool is an alternate to Bex Web and dashboards for creating content ontop of relation content..This will cover some of your questions http://blogs.sap.com/analytics/2012/04/17/the-future-of-dashboards-strategy-and-direction/

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Q: So, Dasboard for Mobile can't use Excel-based formula, only query-binding ?

A: The query and connectivity must come from a Query panel.

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Q: list price for alacarte?

A: I am not familiar with the actual pricing, i recommend to reach out to your account exec for the information

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Q: Thanks. And what is the expected timeline for Design Studio (Zen)? Will that be part of BO4 SP05?

A: Zen is planned for Q4. you can find more info in these links http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-26886

http://blogs.sap.com/analytics/2012/04/17/the-future-of-dashboards-strategy-and-direction/

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Q: We are currently on BOBJ 3.1.  If we upgrade to 4.0 would  alll  off these development tools be  available to  use if we upgrade to 4.0

A: Yes srikanth will cover the platform requirements in a later slide

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Q: offline access - how is security managed?

A: Our security guide covers this. SAP BusinessObjects Mobile for iPad Security Guide: SAP Note 1696770

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Q: Thanks, I probably missed it.  LO, XML, QAAWS are NOT supported.

A: Yes they are not supported in the first version, Planned for a future version. Q: what would be the most important one for you? Q: LO and QAAWS.  Between these two, LO. Thanks.

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Q: What are the data sources does Design Studio supports? Can we use universe?

A: Planned release for Design Studio in Q4 will only support HANA, BW - not the universe

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Q: Is there any integration with Sybase Unwired Platform (SUP). If not, are ether any plans to integrate this with SUP?

A: SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI support Sybase Unwired platform in the current version and would continue to integrate deeper

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Q: so  to publish a report as mobile you would  need a mobile server  and  the report would be published  to the mobile sever, so you would have a  copy of  the report on both thee mobile and the  regular report servers.

A: Yes, your understanding is correct, you could also configure to not to store any data on the mobile device

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Q: Where could I find documentation that explains the integration between Sybase and Business Objects Mobile BI?

A: Hi, the admin guide covers this http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/boexir4/en/420_mobiOS_admin_en.pdf

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Q: We can regular BO server on solaris, can we have BI 4 mobile server on UNIX platform?

A: Yes Linux supported in planned for 4.0 SP05 and in 2013 we will deliver support for other unix Operating systems

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Q: that is good that you would be able to configure to not store any data on the device.  Does this have a per user or per device client license fee as well?

A: This is per document and per system. not based on the device or user in the current version. Let me know what capabilities you will require and create them as ideas in our idea place mobile area

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Q: Is Geomaps now an out of box feature or does is still require a seperate license?

A: It is an out of box feature and does not require any separate license

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Q: Are folders supported? Example separate folders for Finance Reports / SC reports etc..

A: Folders are support for viewing content but they are not visible in the listing. only top level categories are availale

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Q: Are top level categories driven by the application type only like Webi, CR, Dashboard? Can we create custom category?

A: We leverage the top level categories defined in Launchpad (either personal or corporate). you can create categories of your choice and they will be listed on the iPAD

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Q: Got it, thanks! The category option listed on Ipad is available only from 4.3?

A: It works from 4.2 or >

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The behavior of the prompt in CR can be anything the report developer designed to be.  if the prompt is based on content within the report or a particular prefetched page then the CR engine will not hit the database.

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Q: So Dashboard mobile reports do not support maps, radar charts, and some other charts? But they are supported from Web Intelligence reports?

A: We have support for native iOS maps using the web intelligence content. current version of both webi and dashboards don't support radara charts

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Q: Is Mobile BI included in our licensing for BI 4.

A: Part of BI platform or a la a cart - contact your account rep

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Q: Will Explorer iOS eventually be integrated into Mobile BI?

A: Plans to integrate - sometime next year

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Q: when can have MOBI 4.4.0?

A: Need SP05 BI4

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Q: Timeline for release of SP5

A: Q4 - end of Nov.

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Q: Measure formatting (mainly rounding of decimals) does not seem to reflect on the ipad (4.3 +). For example, drilling from a microchart trend or column charts. Is this a bug and we need to contact sap support? Or, is this something that's fixed in 4.4.

A: Please raise a case with SAP Support


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