Oracle Business Approvals for Managers Now Available for iPhone

[January 28, 2009 Update:  Added information on where to download this software]

As an enthusiastic Apple iPhone user, I am very pleased to see that our Applications Unlimited team has released their newest iPhone application: Oracle Business Approvals for Managers.  This free (!) iPhone application allows managers to handle pending E-Business Suite actions related to expense reports, purchase order requisitions, human resources vacancies, and HR job offers.  Managers can use this mobile app to evaluate pending EBS approvals, request more information, and approve or reject pending requests.

This iPhone app builds on the Oracle Business Indicators iPhone application.  Oracle Business Approvals for Managers provides optional access to analytic reports related to the type of approval that users are reviewing.  This configuration retrieves data from Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Plus (OBIEE) or Oracle Business Intelligence Applications.  All communications are secured via SSL encryption and may be optionally integrated with Oracle Identity Management components, too.

iPhone + Apps R12 Integration Architecture

There's a lot of technical wizardry going on under the surface: 

As you can see from the architecture diagram, this application requires the following prerequisites:

• Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 version 12.0.4 and higher
• Oracle SOA Suite 10.1.3.3 and higher
• Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Plus (if you wish to use the optional OBIEE reports)

The Oracle SOA Suite, running on the Oracle application server, uses BPEL to handle the main worklist functionality and the subsequent back-end integration with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.  Web Service calls are intercepted and authenticated by the Oracle Web Service Manager (OWSM).  It uses the Oracle Application Adapter for its integration with the E-Business Suite.   In addition, if access to analytic reports is enabled, Oracle BI EE Plus handles the request for business intelligence data that supports each worklist item.

For complete details about configuration and features, see:

• Oracle Business Approvals Connector for Managers Configuration Guide (PDF, 1.3 MB)
• Oracle Business Approvals for Managers User Guide (PDF, 2 MB)

A Word About Licencing

Although the iPhone app itself is free from the Apple iTunes store, Oracle Business Approvals for Managers requires licensing of a server product called Oracle Business Approvals Connector for Managers.  This connector provides secure integration with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 using Oracle SOA Suite and the optional OBIEE technologies.  This connector can be licensed directly from Oracle.

Downloading this software

1. Go to http://edelivery.oracle.com
2. Click Continue on the welcome screen.
3. Fill out the form and check the boxes for the export restrictions.
4. Select Product Pack "E-Business Suite" and either platform of "Linux x86" or "Microsoft Windows (32-bit)". Click Go.
5. Click on the link towards the bottom of the page for "Oracle Business Approvals Connector for Managers 1.0 Media Pack for Linux x86" or "Oracle Business Approvals Connector for Managers 1.0 Media Pack for Microsoft Windows (32-bit)"
6. There will be downloads for:

• Oracle Business Approvals Connector for Managers 1.0 
• Oracle Business Approvals Connector for Managers 1.0 : Required Oracle EBS 12.0 patch
• Oracle SOA Suite 10g (10.1.3.1.0) (32-bit) (CD) 
• Oracle Application Server 10g (10.1.3.3.0) Patch set (32-bit) (CD)

Feedback is Welcome

Like the previously-announced Oracle Business Indicators app, this application breaks new ground for mobile support for the E-Business Suite.  I know that our Applications Unlimited development team is eager to hear your feedback about this product.  If you post any comments or questions here, I'll make sure that they're passed directly to that team.