February 2020 Expense Standard Edition Admin Summary
Initial Post
Release Note Summaries
Authentication
**Ongoing** Deprecation of HMAC Initiates Migration to SSO Self-ServiceThese changes are part of the SAP Concur continued commitment to maintaining secure authentication.
SAP Concur will soon begin the deprecation process of removing Hash-Based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) as an SSO option. The replacement service for HMAC is SAML SSO is a self-service method of setup whereby client admins have access within SAP Concur to complete their SAML connections.
Clients currently using HMAC are encouraged to migrate to the SSO self-service tool as soon as it is released (targeted for Q1 2020). The new SSO self-service tool allows multiple portals (Identity Providers) to be added.
The HMAC deprecation includes two phases:
PHASE I:
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Clients need to have an Identity Provider (IdP) or a custom SAML 2.0 solution.
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Clients begin testing the new SSO self-service tool.
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Clients prepare for onboarding new clients using the new SSO self-service tool, which is targeted for release in Q1 2020.
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Once the SSO tool is available, customers will be notified via release notes about the official deprecation date of HMAC. As of the official deprecation date, no new clients can be onboarded using HMAC; new clients must be onboarded using the new SSO self-service tool.
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Existing clients using HMAC need to be migrated using the new SSO self-service tool.
PHASE II:
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Clients continue migrating existing HMAC clients to the new SSO self-service tool.
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Shut down the HMAC service after everyone has migrated from HMAC to the new SSO self-service tool. Phase II is targeted to end mid-year 2020.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: This change provides better security and improved support for users logging in to SAP Concur products and services.
E-Receipts
Reconnection Required for Uber Users (Jan 29)As described in the September 2019 version of these release notes, Uber planned on deprecating an older connection method, called SMTP or "Receipt Images via Email". On January 29, 2020, Uber and Concur Expense deprecated this connection method.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: Uber recently updated their Concur Expense integration to the more robust SAP Concur Receipts v4 API. With expanded availability and benefits via the App Center integration, the secondary "Receipt Images via Email" connection was discontinued.
File Transfer Updates
HTTPS Protocol No Longer Allowed for File Transfer (Feb 24)This release note is intended for the technical staff responsible for file transmissions with SAP Concur. For our customers and vendors participating in data exchange through various secure file transfer protocols, SAP Concur is making changes that provide greater security for those file transfers.
Beginning February 24, 2020 at 2 PM PST, connections via the HTTPS protocol will no longer be allowed when connecting to the SAP Concur file transfer system.
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Existing HTTPS file transfer accounts must switch to SFTP with SSH Key Authentication before February 24, 2020.
This announcement pertains to the following file transfer DNS endpoints:
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st.concursolutions.com
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st-eu.concursolutions.com
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st-cge.concursolutions.com
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st-cge-dr.concursolutions.com
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vs.concursolutions.com
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vs.concurcdc.cn
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: These changes provide greater security for file transfers.
TLS v1.1 SSL Protocol Not Allowed for File TransfersThis release note is intended for technical staff responsible for file transmissions with SAP Concur. For our customers and vendors participating in data exchange through various secure file transfer protocols, SAP Concur has made changes that provide greater security for those file transfers.
The TLS 1.1 (Transport Layer Security) SSL protocol has been removed from our SAP Concur file transfer system allowed list.
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This relates to the FTPS and HTTPS file transfer protocols.
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The HTTPS file transfer protocol will not be allowed beginning on February 24, 2020. If you are currently using HTTPS, we suggest migrating to SFTP with key authentication before February 10, 2020.
For more information, refer to the HTTPS Protocol No Longer Allowed For File Transfer (Feb 24, 2020) release note in this document.
This announcement pertains to the following file transfer DNS endpoints:
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st.concursolutions.com
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st-eu.concursolutions.com
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st-cge.concursolutions.com
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st-cge-dr.concursolutions.com
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vs.concursolutions.com
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vs.concurcdc.cn
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: These changes provide greater security for file transfers.
Next Generation (NextGen) Expense
**Ongoing** New User Interface for Concur Expense End UsersUpdate: In order to respond to and take advantage of feedback from customers, and to align with the SAP Concur commitment to ensure a smooth and successful transition, we are working on a revised deployment strategy for Next Generation Expense.
SAP Concur is dedicated to the consistent improvement of our products, not only the features they provide, but also the experience of using those features. How users interact with technology changes over time, along with needs and expectations. We are constantly listening to our customers and soliciting feedback on how we can improve the user experience.
NextGen Expense is the continued evolution of the SAP Concur user experience. It was built from extensive user research and data analytics that include 680 1:1 conversations, 58 usability studies, 3,000+ survey responses, and 1.3B monthly user actions.
Customers will have the ability to preview and then opt in to NextGen Expense before the mandatory cutover.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: The result is the next generation of the Expense user interface designed to provide a modern, consistent, and streamlined user experience. This technology not only provides an enhanced UI, but also allows SAP Concur to react more quickly to customer requests to meet changing needs as they happen.
Quick Expense
**Ongoing** Quick Expense v1 and Quick Expense v3 Retirement and DecommissionEffective March 31, 2020, the Quick Expense v1 and Quick Expense v3 APIs will be retired and decommissioned. We encourage all current users to migrate to Quick Expense v4 as soon as possible.
Please refer to the deprecation policy for definitions and additional information.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: This update removes two outdated APIs.
Security Enhancement
Support Ending for TLS v 1.1 Encryption Protocol (Feb 20)SAP Concur is announcing an end-of-support cycle for version 1.1 of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption protocol, while continuing support for the more secure version 1.2 of TLS. As background, the TLS protocol allows secure back and forth communications between a phone or computer and a cloud-based service.
Refusal of TLS v.1.1 connections will commence on February 20, 2020.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: SAP Concur is taking this step after careful consideration of our customers’ security and ease of upgrade to the newer, more secure version 1.2 of TLS. This end-of-support plan for TLS v 1.1 ensures our clients are communicating with SAP Concur solutions in a safer and more secure manner using TLS v 1.2.
Workflow
Updated Link in Expense Report Status Change Emails (Feb 26)During the last calendar week in February, email notifications for "Expense Report Status Change" emails will include a link directly to the relevant expense report for users who are already logged in.
Users who are not already logged in will be directed to the SAP Concur log in page.
The contents of the email will not change. Only the destination of the View Report button will be updated.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: This change is an added convenience for end users.
Planned Change Summaries
The items in this section are summaries of the changes targeted for future releases. SAP Concur reserves the right to postpone implementation of – or completely remove – any enhancement/change mentioned here.
IMPORTANT: These Planned Changes may not be all of the upcoming enhancements and modifications that affect this SAP Concur product or service. The Planned Changes that apply to multiple SAP Concur products and/or services are in a consolidated document. Please review the additional Planned Changes admin summaries available in the February 2020 Shared Planned Changes Standard Edition Admin Summary.
Cards
**Planned Changes** Amex Business Card Connection (US)SAP Concur will soon offer an American Express (Amex) business card connection. The Amex Business Card direct connect feature will allow customers to connect Amex business credit cards while in Concur Expense.
The Amex Business Card feature provides the following functionality:
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Provides an automatic daily refresh of transactions from Amex to SAP Concur (Concur Expense users do not need to sign into Amex to refresh transactions)
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Offers compatibility with SAP Concur Expense Assistant
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Allows the primary card holder to manage transactions without having to view all supplemental card transactions
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Supports Delegate and Proxy capabilities on transactions
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Provides transaction currency handling for foreign transactions
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Includes viewing available transactions
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Includes Concur Analytics for Standard reporting (including unsubmitted transactions)
This feature is targeted for Q1 2020. Additional countries will be included in future releases.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: This feature provides SAP Concur customers with a business card connection.
Workflow
**Planned Changes** Retirement of Email Confirmation for Faxed Receipt ImagesSAP Concur will retire the email message that is currently provided to a user confirming that Concur Expense has received a faxed receipt image.
This release note is specifically about the retirement of the email message. SAP Concur continues to support faxed receipt images.
Business Purpose / Client Benefit: This change allows SAP Concur to focus resources on alternate methods for receiving information using contemporary communication tools.
Client Notifications
SAP Concur Non-Affiliated Subprocessors
The list of non-affiliated subprocessors is available here: SAP Concur list of Subprocessors (English Only)
Monthly Browser Certifications
Monthly browser certifications, both current and planned, are available with the other SAP Concur monthly release notes, accessible from What's New - Standard Edition
