The NWBC for HTML (NetWeaver Business Client for HTML) has been on a long journey and it is time to bring this to an end. Starting with S/4HANA 2025 it will be discontinued. But you will not be kept alone—there are two alternatives you can choose from:
- Fiori Launchpad (FLP): Now this is the right moment to switch to FLP.
- SAP Business Client (SAP BC) aka NWBC for Desktop: This is a desktop application for Microsoft Windows in which you can use the old roles and where you have some advantages over the NWBC for HTML:
- Multiple tabs to work with various web-based applications and Dynpro transactions in parallel
- Favorites
- Context-sensitive sidepanel
- Favourites
- Overview of most viewed applications and recently used applications
- Accessing Dynpro transactions via SAPGUI for Windows
- Harmonized UI, including a themed shell
On this journey the names of the products changed a little bit. Therefore, it is understandable that there might be some confusion. Let's try to clarify this:
- In the beginning there was the NWBC for HTML and the NWBC for Desktop. Talking about the NWBC was sometimes ambiguous because of the different products with nearly the same name.
- With version 6.0 the NWBC for Desktop was renamed to SAP Business Client for Desktop (SAP BC) while the NWBC for HTML stayed with its name.
- So now there is the SAP Business Client for Desktop (in the meantime with version 8.00) and the NWBC for HTML.
- If you hear about the discontinuation of the NWBC this is only about the NWBC for HTML, not about the SAP BC! The SAP BC will continue.
If you have many custom roles defined for your NWBC you can think about switching to the SAP BC because all the old roles can be used there. You don't need to change them—just check the additional features which are perhaps helpful for you and your users, e.g. own Menu entries, Search Providers or Side Panels which can provide additional information to existing applications.
A disadvantage could be that the SAP BC is a Windows application which has to be installed on every relevant machine. Find information about the SAP BC in the SAP Help Portal.
The other option is switching to the SAP Fiori Launchpad. This is the most current shell of SAP. It runs in the browser, so you don't have to install something on every computer in your environment. If you use custom roles, you will probably need to make yourself familiar with the new role concept and create new roles for your environment. In the SAP Help Portal you will find more information about this. And with Discover the SAP Fiori Launchpad there is an excellent introduction.
Be aware that you also can run the FLP within the SAP BC. More about this you can also find in the SAP Help Portal.
