Extending Adobe AIR
Prior to Adobe AIR 3 release candidate, only Adobe could add core features to the runtime. Developers requiring new features could only wait. Now developers can extend the runtime themselves. This new capability allows developers to:
- Achieve deeper integration with target devices
- Incorporate legacy native code in their application
- Achieve maximum performance for critical code
Read the full article at Adobe Developer Connection
Build you own CRM system….
Many small businesses need a way to manage prospects, especially during periods of growth. Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a great tool for doing that. Software Advice offers some great CRM software reviews, but the truth is many of the most popular systems on the market are beyond the budgetary means of the average small business owner.
So why not build your own CRM system? The benefits are clear:
It’s cost-efficient (free)
Flexibility
Customization
Easy to use
A great tool for building out a CRM system is Google Docs. Already used as a management tool, it is fairly easy to extend the power of this group of applications to the customer management space. Google Docs also allows all users to collaborate across any document, thanks to a same-time editing feature. So, if one person changes a contact’s information, that is automatically synced across the system, allowing all users to see the change immediately. You can also monitor privilege settings, ensuring that all users have access to the right information.
Chris Keller of Profitworks Small Business Services outlines a step-by-step process for setting up a CRM system within Google Docs. He shows how with Google Docs, you can track and manage:
Demographics
Prospect source
Next actions
Contact log
Lead nurturing stage
Estimated opportunity size
For a full outline, you can check out his post here. Another great source I found was Laurence Buchanan’s post on what Google CRM might look like. Who knows? With all this buzz around Google and CRM, it might not be long before they step up to the development plate and create their own CRM. (P.S. – I’ve already predicted that, by the way…)
Google Gmail, Docs, Calendar…. but what about Google CRM?
Google has achieved much of their fame from their position as the leading search engine on the Web. However, the success of the Google Apps has positioned them as a contender in the enterprise apps world as well. Initially, the apps were targeted at personal productivity and collaboration – Gmail, Docs, Calendar, etc. However, how much longer will it be until Google makes a move to go deeper into the enterprise? Is there a customer relationship management (CRM) app in their future?
While Outlook and Exchance are still the kings when it comes to enterprise email service providers, we are seeing more and more companies requesting Gmail integration from their CRM vendors? But what if you could cut out the middle man? What if Gmail was your CRM? Software Advice, an online resource for CRM software buyers, weighed the likelihood of this move in their most recent article. The highlights are below, but be sure to visit their blog and take their survey to let them know what you think.
Reasons Google Might Enter the CRM Market
- Google already has the building blocks to create a CRM. Many small businesses and start-ups have already realized the benefits of Google as a CRM platform for managing relationships. The Apps can be used for email and contact management, opportunity management, segmentation and email campaigns, to name a few. Also, because the Apps operate on the Google platform, every activity is synched together quite nicely. And let’s not forget Android. Google’s mobile operating system would allow them to deliver on the multiple mobile deployment requirements for CRM.
- CRM is the #1 most searched-for term in the Google Apps Marketplace. While other enterprise apps such as enterprise resource planning and warehouse management systems are usually specific to larger companies, everyone needs a CRM system. And the demand for CRM is particularly strong in the cloud. According to Gartner, cloud-based CRM raked in $2.3 billion in 2009. The market is lucrative enough for Google to take a closer look.
- If they did enter the market, how would they do it? They could use those building blocks to construct their own. However, Google is no stranger to acquisition. In 2011, Google acquired 11 social media companies. Social is arguably the biggest buzz word in CRM right now. This addition of a social layer to their existing collaborative platform could signal their intention to make a move for CRM.
Reasons Google Might Not Enter the CRM Market
- Google has a very strong partnership with Salesforce. In the past few years, many predicted that this partnership was setting the stage for an acquistion. But no money has been exchanged. Instead, the companies have tightened their integration. If they were going to make this move, it would have happened already. Any other acquisitive move would not be smart as it would jeopardize the relationship with Salesforce.
- Google’s new leadership is less focused on the enterprise app space. The previous CEO, Eric Schmidt’s legacy was in enterprise software, having served as the CEO of both Novell and Sun Microsystems. The new guy, Larry Page is an ad man through and through. Many question where Google’s focus will go with a new head honcho. Additionally, Google see most of their revenue from advertising. The App Marketplace allows them to expand their app offering without rocking the ad boat.
The Prediction There are some strong signs pointing to Google entering the CRM space. However, it is likely that they will continue dipping their fingers into the CRM pie without actually digging in. Most likely, they will extend their apps to include more CRM capabilities, but most with center on that social layer. This move seems more strategic and will allow them to remain competitive in this new wave of social media.
Four ways to integrate Adobe Flex with SAP Netweaver
For quite some time now SAP and Adobe has presented different methods and initiatives you could use if you would like to integrate Adobe Flex and SAP Netweaver. I will try to summarize four different scenarios you could consider.
Using SAP Flash Island scenario
If you are using Netweaver 7.0 EhP1 or 7.1 then you can use the SAP Flash Island framework to integrate Adobe Flex with SAP (read more about SAP Flash Island here). The framework will create a ‘bridge’ between a SAP WebDynpro application and Flex. In order to ‘connect to this bridge/framework’ – you need to use a library from SAP in your Flex project – I have created a template project you can use for this purpose click here. Flash Islands are best suited for smaller applications/components – especially for areas where you are missing UI functionality in the WebDynpro, e.g. could be advanced graphics, interactive maps, graphs and statistics. Authentication, User and session management will be handled by the WebDynpro application.
Using SAP BSP and an embedded Adobe Flex component
So what do you do if your application is SAP is not based on WebDynpro – then you will be missing the framework and bridge which will make it easy to communicate with an Adobe Flex application – or ? Well in SAP BSP you can use <object><embed> … </embed><object> to include an SWF application in the application – read more here. But the data binding and event handling you will have to handle yourself in the BSP and in the Flex application. This kind of integration is also meant for smaller applications/components – especially for areas where you are missing UI functionality in SAP BSP, e.g. again could be advanced graphics, interactive maps, graphs and statistics. Authentication, User and session management will be handled by the SAP BSP application.
Using an HTTP REST backend application in SAP BSP – and an Adobe Flex RIA as Frontend
So… what do we do if we want to build a larger application in Adobe Flex (RIA) which should be integrated with SAP Netweaver? Well.. One possibility would be to build a set of backend services in SAP BSP using the HTTP REST approach/architecture (read more here). In SAP you will then be building normal BSP’s which will receive the input parameters in a HTTP request – and send the reply to the calling application as XML. These services can be called from Adobe Flex using the HTTP-request object. The work could be divided in two parts: the work regarding the design and implementation in SAP and the work with the design and implementation of the RIA using Adobe Flex. In between you need to describe and design the implementation of the interface. User and session management could be handled by the SAP BSP application if it’s running as a state full application. Regarding Authentication you need to consider how you would implement this in the application.
Using WebService enabled SAP BAPI’s as backend application – and an Adobe RIA as Frontend
In the last method you could consider using Webservice enabled BAPI’s instead of having to write BSP’s to communicate with the frontend. From Netweaver 6.40 and onwards all BAPI’s in SAP could be webservice enabled – and from 7.0 the functionality has been improved. And it’s possible to call these webservice enabled BAPI’s directly from Adobe Flex. You can use standard BAPI’s and/or make custom development for your own specific BAPI requests. User and session management should be handled by the Adobe Flex application. Regarding Authentication you need to consider how you would implement this in the application.
A great tutorial: How to develop Adobe Flash Islands for SAP
Watch this great tutorial – and see how to embed an Adobe Flash Island into an SAP WebDynpro Application… click here
The SAP Flash Island recap
It’s time for SAP TechEd in Berlin – and maybe also a SAP Flash Island recap before you go to Berlin:
Defining a SAP Flash Islands candidate: MashUp’s using existing Adobe components
Four ways to integrate Adobe Flex with SAP Netweaver
Developing rich Internet applications for SAP with Adobe Flex
RIA, SAP BSP or WebDynpro… and some CRM
Google Analytics in SAP WebDynpro using SAP Flash Islands
AIR for Android
Read more about Air for Android – download free issue here
Check out the new Google Web App’s store
Click here to visit the new Google Web App’s store.
Adobe Flex and Zend Framework – watch this ‘cookbook’
I ran into these two articles – describing how to integrate Adobe Flex and the Zend Framework using AMF.
The first article describes how to build a Flex client that uses AMF services based on Zend Framework – click here.
The second article describes how you build the server side services in the Zend Framework – click here.
AlivePDF – 100% client side PDF generation
I ran into this cool SWC at www.AlivePDF.org – so have a detailed look here if you want to output PDF’s from eg. Adobe AIR.
www.AlivePDF.org: “AlivePDF is an open-source ActionScript 3 (Flash, Flex, AIR) PDF generation library ported from the FPDF PHP project.
It allows you to generate PDF’s 100% client-side.”