Application Development - Modern Mobile Application Servers

Modern Mobile Application Server Tools: These tools offer application server solutions in a web environment. Some of these tools are essentially conventional application servers with mobility functionality either embedded in these servers or as an extension or add-on to these servers. Others so-called mobile application servers are specifically designed for mobile applications and wireless networks.

Please go to Application Server page for more information.

BEA's WebLogic - BEA is a major player in general-purpose application server market but for mobile applications, it is only somewhat mobile-enabled, in MobileInfo's opinion

IBM's AS/400 Mobile Application Development Tools: IBM has been marketing AS/400-based mobile solution for the past five years.  It has its own development environment.  Those working in AS/400 application environment will find it attractive with easier integration. Go to Mobile Retrofitting and Legacy Integration page.

IBM's WebSphere Everyplace Access: WebSphere Everyplace Access is an IBM application development platform for mobile applications that provides: 

• PIM and e-mail for Lotus® Notes® and Microsoft® Exchange™ PDA clients

• Various components required to extend access to business processes and back-office data to mobile employees

• A scalable infrastructure, based on open standards like Java J2EE, that easily integrates into your existing IT infrastructure

• Functions that enable IT application developers and third parties to develop new applications and extend existing ones to mobile devices using IBM WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Portal Server 

•  An application development toolkit that includes samples and a set of plug-ins 

For more, go to IBM WebSphere Page.

Microsoft Mobile Information Server (MIS) - not really an application server but with Microsoft's other set of product components, it can provide equivalent functionality. For more, go to Microsoft site.

Oracle's 9i AS Wireless: This is the incarnation of Oracle's 9i Application Server that offers a complete platform for mobile application development and deployment. Oracle9iAS Wireless includes mobile services such as PIM and Email, location-based, and push services (via SMS, WAP, e-mail and voice). These services can run out-of-the-box or can be extended with customized functional abilities. Oracle9iAS Wireless is based on relatively open standards (XHTML, multiple devices and multiple wireless networks). 

Oracle9iAS Wireless uses a multi-channel XML framework so applications can be built once for any device. Oracle9iAS Wireless' open architecture and use of XML and J2EE standards ensures support of current and emerging technologies.

Key Features:

1. Multi-Modal Core: The core software acts as a multi-channel, multi-modal proxy, so applications can be developed once for all channels: Voice, Push, Wireless, SMS.

2. Customization & Alert Engine: The alert engine provides an extensible and scalable solution to develop event-based and time-based alert services and the customization framework offers advanced personalization (presets, user profiles, etc.). 

3. Push/SMS (Wireless Messaging): Scalable and flexible programming interfaces that enable J2EE applications to send messages to any messaging device over any protocol, including SMS, standard e-mail, text page, fax or automated voice call. 

4. Transcoding: For quick time to market and simple implementation, Transcoding dynamically translates existing Web content (HTML and WML) into XML, from here Oracle9iAS Wireless optimizes the content for delivery to mobile devices. 

5. Offline Management: Oracle9iAS Wireless and Oracle9i Lite offer the most advanced platform for deploying mobile applications running locally on a device. This extends enterprise applications to all popular mobile platforms: Palm OS, Symbian EPOC, Microsoft Windows CE, and Microsoft Windows. Click here for more Oracle9i Lite information. 

6. Location-Based Services: The Location Service provides pre-built location applications and a location framework for developing and managing location aware applications. Support for leading position servers and map data suppliers is available.

7. Mobile E-mail and PIM: An out-of-the-box J2EE application that lets businesses rapidly wireless and voice enable e-mail and PIM applications, including Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes, calendar, address book, to-do and notes.

8. Mobile Commerce: A carrier-grade mobile commerce solution featuring seamless integration with leading electronic payment systems for secure mobile transactions from any mobile device.

9. Mobile Studio: A developer portal to enable the rapid and cost-effective development of wireless and voice applications.  

Source of Information - Oracle website, with minor editing by MobileInfo. For more info, go to Oracle site. 

Sun's One Portal Mobile Pack -  Go here for more

Sybase 's SQL Anywhere Studio: Sybase offers SQL AnyWhere Studio for developing mobile applications.  This software can reside on multiple server and client platforms (Windows, Solaris, Novell and Windows for Server and Win95, Palm Pilot, Symbian and WinCE for client environments). Visitors may find more information by clicking Sybase SQL Anywhere Studio pages.  Please click on Sybase White Papers to get their perspective on mobile computing. Sybase announced iAnyWhere Wireless Application Server in May 2000.