Withdrawal of Support for Scanner Devices

I believe the below is the strategy I found in BYD:

This document elaborates SAP strategy which is in place to provide you with a more holistic usage and flexibility for Scanners/Rugged Devices.

Cause

In order to provide you with a more holistic usage and flexibility for scanners/rugged devices, aPartner based strategy strictly recommended by SAP. There are various out-of-the-box web-services already provided which could be used by your implementation partners to provide mobile or scanner interfaces as per your business needs. These web-services can be accessed by following tbe below mentioned steps.

1. Go to Application and User Management work center.
2. Navigate to Input and Output Management view and choose the Service Eplorer sub-view.

Below are the names of a few webservices which could be used for your enhancements.

• Query Site Logistics Tasks:  To support query on task types such as Inbound - Unload, Put-away, Outbound - Pick, Load & Internal - Replenishment, Removal.
• Manage Site Logistics Tasks:  To support  Inbound - Unload, Put-away, Outbound - Pick, Load& Internal - Replenishment, Removal confirmations.
• Query Production Lots: To support query on production lot based on following parameters:Production Lot ID, Production Request ID, Production Order ID, Output Product ID, Site ID, Lifecycle Status.
• Manage Production Lots: To support confirmation of production tasks such as Make andSupply.
• Create Goods and Activity Confirmations for Goods Movements: To support ad-hoc Goods Movement within a site.
• Create Goods and Activity Confirmations: To provide the ability to scrap the inventory items from the specified logistics area within a site via a webservice.
• Manage Logistics Layout Execution: To support creation of new Replenishment and Removaltasks.

Please note that the scanner functionality in Business ByDesign currently offers a limited enablement scope, mentioned as follows:

1. Support for a very limited set of scanner devices which are mentioned below.
   • Microsoft® Windows® Mobile 6.1
     • Intermec® CK3 and CN3.
     • Motorola® MC9090, MC55 and MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant.
   • Microsoft® Windows® Mobile 6.5
     • Motorola®MC9190G.
2. The existing capabilities for warehouse and production confirmation activities are very basic in nature.
3. Advanced capabilities providing greater scanning flexibility such as support for Product Count, support for alternative Logistics Area scanning etc are not available by default. 

Since webservice enablement is readily available, further enhancements of functional and performance topics can only be performed with the help of your partners. SAP will continue to maintain the current available scope and resolve any bugs that are detected.

I further asked SAP to elaborate and below is my understanding:

Here is the background for the announcement

1. Over the course of years SAP found that the scanner technology was advancing faster than they could keep pace, the kind of hardware available was multiplying and the effort needed to support this wide variety and the pace of change was getting difficultto manage
2. So almost a year back SAP made a decision that the only way to manage this is to open up BYD and allow partners/ customers to handle the scanner integration. BYD development has created a number web services, which partners /customer can use to integrate with scanners of their choice
3. SAP is working with two partners to build a integration with scanners using these web services, which customers can subscribe to.

Hope this helps.

Hans