Siebel High Interactivity Framework vs Open UI Framework

Siebel High Interactivity Framework

If you are browsing YouTube in any browser, it needs an add-on or plug-in to run the video. The browser does not have capability to play the video all by itself (although, latest HTLM5 enabled browsers have this capacity). It requires an add-on or plug-in. Similarly, for a Siebel application UI to work, it requires additional add-ons.

Before Open UI framework is introduced, Siebel High Interactivity application can only be opened in IE browser. The Siebel application is rendered using Internet Explorer's ActiveX Controls. The application requires the ActiveX controls for proper rendering and functionality of UI.

ActiveX objects are programs (add-ons) that supplements and enhance the browser experience. The ActiveX objects for Siebel are included as part of the installation and are placed in SWSE/public/enu/23030/applets location. (This location varies based on version; 23030 is for 8.1.1.11) Below is the location of ActiveX objects in local web client.

 When you access the application, the browser will prompt for the download of ActiveX and if user allows the prompt, it downloads ActiveX from your SWSE folder location. These ActiveX controls are installed in your IE. This is how Siebel High Interactivity Framework works. This can be viewed from Internet Settings -> Manage Add-ons

Users can not open HI application in any other browsers. Moreover, for ActiveX controls to download and work, user has to change internet settings which have a risk of decreasing the browser security. ActiveX objects are more prone to security risk as they are installed in your local computer and can access your computer.

Open UI framework:

Open UI is a framework for customising User Interface of Siebel. This uses Javascript, JQuery, CSS etc to render the Siebel application and function as per the requirements. Just like ActiveX, JQuery is a JavaScript based plug-in. There are other extended plug-ins to JQuery like JQuery-UI which are used in Siebel Open UI framework.

Why Open UI?

There are many reasons why Open UI framework is built when there is an already working, tested High Interactivity framework available.

Unlike before, the number of browsers and operating systems has increased beyond IE and Microsoft windows. Forcing the users to keep using IE and using only windows environment is not a good idea. It is not easy to recreate add-ons for other browsers and test them. Windows 8 does not support ActiveX anymore. Check this link. This seems to be the death blow for HI framework.

What Open UI offers?

Here are the few advantages in Open UI compared to HI ActiveX framework.

1.   Support to all browsers. Earlier Siebel application can only be opened in IE browser. This is due to the dependency on ActiveX controls. Open UI framework is based on Javascript, JQuery, CSS which is supported in all browsers.   

2. Siebel Application in Mobile. Access Siebel application from any device.

3.   Custom user experience. Provides capabilities to UI customisations which HI framework does not provide. 

4. Working offline.