Mobile apps rising

The DemoMobile 2004 spotlight shone on tools and services designed to mobilize business and application processes, as earlier concerns regarding wireless infrastructure build out and coverage have faded.

Whereas just a year ago mobility was an afterthought for enterprise applications, wireless is now a core consideration in application development and deployment, said Chris Shipley, executive producer at Demo Conferences.

"Now mobility is part and parcel of any kind of application deployment. And the kinds of tools we are seeing this [year] are ones that are really focused on the kinds of things any enterprise IT tool is focused on: agility, flexibility, and business process," Shipley said.

"We are at a point where standards are reasonably in place, systems are in place, and a lot of the issues around security, authentication, and user models are -- if not completely resolved -- at least well understood. And now really the focus shifts to building on the application process," Shipley said.

To that end, Adesso Systems launched its Adesso Instant Mobility platform, which distributes and synchronizes data, alerts, and application logic across multiple devices and locations. The platform allows enterprises to build process-oriented applications for mobile workers on any Windows-based mobile device. The platform supports rich media, Bluetooth, RFID, and smart phones.

Also at the show, Orative unveiled its Orative Enterprise Software, a mobile telephony application designed to bolster the efficiency of mobile voice communications. 

"Businesses are running on mobile phones, but the device we use the most is the one that is the least connected," said Orative CEO Paul Fulton.

Orative's software includes a server that sits behind the firewall and thin-client software that resides on the phone. The software, which supports multiple carrier services, allows users to coordinate conversations, screen unwanted calls, receive context and subject information about an incoming call, and access enterprise directories and calendars. In addition, integrated presence-awareness technology allows users to see a worker's availability.

Another vendor, apps for phones, introduced a RAD (rapid application development) tool that allows non-Java programmers to create applications for J2ME phones. Without programming -- or the need to install toolkits, SDKs, or VMs -- users can design a mobile application by dragging and dropping the application controls into a form, according to apps for phones officials. The tool uses Web services support for integrating the applications to external data.