You may have heard the news that Oracle is sunsetting its mobile application framework (MAF) for its Oracle ERP customers, including JD Edwards EnterpriseOne users. Here’s what you urgently need to know if you run JD Edwards Mobile Apps.

Oracle moved to “sustaining support” for its JD Edwards EnterpriseOne mobile applications in May 2021, and official support for MAF ended in June 2023. The latest release of MAF supports Android 11 and iOS 15, but these operating systems are fast becoming obsolete, which may present JDE mobile app users with compatibility, security and integration challenges going forward.

So, what does this mean for JDE EnterpriseOne customers?

 

MAF – the lowdown

Back in 2013 Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne product team released Mobile Enterprise Application functionality that allowed clients to create mobile applications that would run natively on both iOS and Android phones. For staff members who need to access applications on the go, being tethered to a desktop device is impractical, and so the JDE Mobile Enterprise Applications were the ideal solution. This functionality leveraged Oracle’s Mobile Application Framework (MAF), harnessing the power of the EnterpriseOne Application Integration Services (AIS) Server, and was a successor to the cumbersome browser-based ADF mobile applications.

The release of this functionality was particularly good news for users who needed geographical freedom, such as warehousing staff with a lot of ground to cover. However, overall adoption of mobile apps was lower than anticipated, and the decision was made to remove ongoing support.

Of course, this means there is no longer any guarantee that mobile applications developed with Oracle’s MAF will work correctly on devices that are running later, unsupported versions of the Android and iOS operating systems. As such, if MAF-developed applications have been running on devices that are still using older operating systems, the applications are likely to stop running as soon as the device is upgraded to a later OS release.

 

Who’s affected?

Though the uptake of MAF for JDE customers was lower than expected, there are still several users within the ERP space who are likely to feel the effects of a support withdrawal.

Inventory transfers: Drivers at large, geographically diverse organisations (oil companies, for instance) who use mobile apps to provide real-time inventory updates for better supply chain management.

Sales orders: Sales representatives who use mobile apps to enter sales orders while they’re with customers rather than having to wait until they get back to the office – streamlining the process while minimising the chance of errors and delays.

POs and requisitions: Warehouse staff and shop floor workers who use mobile apps to order supplies on the go, sending approval requests to supervisors who can then authorise POs from their own mobile devices.

 

What does this mean going forwards?

If you’ve invested a lot of time, money, and effort in implementing a mobile app for your JDE EnterpriseOne users, it’s reasonable to want reassurance that the functionality can be retained. Understandably, you may now be wondering where you can get help and assistance for a mobile solution that is no longer supported.

Users of mobile applications will still have options going forward. Although Oracle’s MAF is discontinued, it is being replaced with Visual Builder. If users want greater flexibility, there are also open source alternatives available. These are likely to be attractive options as the open source nature means a wide community of development and support options.

Fear not – DWS is on hand to help. With a wealth of experience in mobile applications design and development, our expert teams are in prime position to provide support and insight into how to best look after the mobile side of your ERP system.

Useful links:

https://dws-global.com/enterprise-development-services/

https://dws-global.com/professional-services/training-support/