Google has now detailed the next phase of its ongoing partnership with SAP at this week’s SAP SAPPHIRE NOW event, including the introduction of support for the SAP Cloud Platform SDK in Android. For those who may not be aware, that’s the SDK primarily used to create experiences based on SAP services and its inclusion will enable those apps to run natively on Android. The platform itself is generally used for both creating new applications and extending existing apps through the company’s secure cloud computing environment. That includes SAP’s Fiori apps, typically used for managing enterprise functions associated with workflows, information lookups, and other task management. In addition to ensuring that apps built on the platform run smoothly, native support means that the associated apps can take advantage of material design and other U.I. or U.X. Android standards.
Setting aspects of the user interface aside, the addition of the SAP Cloud Platform SDK has several advantages. Not only does it allow SAP’s Fiori to be utilized in developing the applications themselves. Enterprise apps built on the platform will also enable developers using the SDK to access Android enterprise features. That means they’ll be able to manage app restrictions, access management features such as the ability to create work profiles and access SafetyNet. In short, the integration brings all of the Android development and enterprise development platform benefits to the table for those who are already developing or plan to develop using SAP’s SDKs. On the other hand, for Google, it allows developers to take advantage of SAP’s features – such as pre-defined U.X. tools, push notifications, diagnostics, security, and offline storage – within the SDK in the native Android development environment.
The SAP SAPPHIRE NOW event, meanwhile, runs from June 5 through June 7 and the partners are taking the opportunity to demonstrate the world’s first application built on the platform. That’s an Android app called SAP Asset Manager for Android which, as its name implies, allows for SAP Assets to be managed on an Android device. Beyond that demo, the two companies also plan to partner up for Droidcon Berlin on June 26 and 27 for further discussion on this latest integration.