We've all likely seen or heard news that sales of mobile computing devices (smartphones and tablets) are on the rise while sales of PCs are flat or declining. But the latest numbers still surprise me. The always excellent research site Asymco sums it up best (emphasis added):
"Even excluding Android devices which don’t register with Google’s Play Store (and excluding Windows Phone devices), mobile ARM devices are selling at 2.6 times the rate of Intel-powered devices. Put another way, since the birth of Android nearly as many iOS and Android devices have been sold as PCs.
In terms of install base, a computing category that did not exist six years ago has come to overtake one that has been around for 38 years."
So what does this mean for the enterprise? It means that users are likely to expect their work to be available and accessible wherever they are and on whatever device they have on hand. But even beyond that implication, this mobile ubiquity is starting to impact expectations of experiences on traditional PCs. When you have such a delightfully simple experience on your smartphone you might ask, "why isn't what I do on my PC like this?"
As it turns out, SAP is asking these same questions and, better yet, providing answers. SAP Fiori is a new product that provides a simple, intuitive user experience across the most frequently used business transactions. And it does this consistency across all types of screens. Meaning, you can use your desktop, tablet, or smartphone and the Fiori experience adjusts based on the screen real estate available while still giving you the same look & feel and functionality on any device type.
SAP already offers a rapid-deployment solution (RDS) called Mobile Apps and Infrastructure, which provides -- in a matter of weeks -- prepackaged instant-value mobile apps and deployment of a full mobile platform. But as of this month, this same package is now available for Fiori apps. That is, for SAP customers interested in taking advantage of this new approach to having a delightful and consistent user experience across all devices, the Fiori edition of the Mobile Apps and Infrastructure RDS can be deployed in as little as four weeks.
The package is flexible and modular and allows you to start with just one Fiori app or any combination of up to 25 Fiori apps. It focuses on apps across the four main roles of employee self service, sales rep, manager self service, and purchasing agent. And it comes with all the benefits SAP customers have come to expect from an SAP RDS package: preconfigured software, services, tools, best practices, end-user guides, and educational materials.
So while mobile devices may be outselling PCs dramatically, SAP is working to provide a solid user experience that improves the past computing paradigm while giving you the enjoyable experience of the new. For more details on this Fiori RDS, check out the SAP Mobile Apps and Infrastructure RDS page on the SAP Service Marketplace or feel free to leave a question or comment below.
*Update* The Service Marketplace landing page link for this RDS (provided just above) may not yet reference the Fiori option (hot off the press, this is a brand new offering!) but will be updated shortly. In the mean time, rest assured that the content for the Fiori option of this RDS is fully available in the "Solution Discovery" and "Solution Deployment" subsections. For example, here is a direct link to the "Solution Details" presentation which provides a detailed look into what is included as part of this Fiori option.