Enterprise Toolbox

SAN MATEO (02/28/2000) - I believe this year will bring alignment across much of the wireless marketplace. Expect pricing to become commoditized shortly, while coverage areas expand, transmission speeds increase, and integration with business applications becomes more viable.

With these things in mind, I've recently examined two wireless initiatives. The first is a wireless device and service entry by OmniSky Corp.

(www.omnisky.com), and the second is a software implementation by Advanced BusinessLink (www.businesslink.com) that enables WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)-enabled devices to interact in real time with AS/400 business applications using WML (Wireless Markup Language).

OmniSky intends to become a full-service, wireless portal provider. The company has begun its foray into the wireless world via a Novatel-supplied modem -- called Minstrel V -- that attaches to any Palm V or Palm Vx handheld device.

The OmniSky Minstrel modem and service -- in beta until April -- currently leverages the CDPD (cellular digital packet data) network. Thus, early customers will be limited to Palms and CDPD areas.

However, company officials have indicated that they plan to eventually support other types of devices (such as WAP and Windows CE), as well as other wireless networks. Moreover, the company is eyeing the international market and business application integration.

The OmniSky service comes with several "Web clipping" applications (Web applications that deliver specific content). These include The Wall Street Journal, Etrade, the Weather Channel, and Etak Traffic.

OmniSky's White and Yellow Pages applications can extract information from the Web and integrate it with the Palm's address book. The familiar AvantGo channels are also available via OmniSky, which can bring Internet or intranet content to your Palm in real time.

It was easy to set up my existing POP3 e-mail accounts to work with the OmniSky service. Sending and receiving e-mails while on the go is easy, but you won't be able to read huge e-mail attachments.

The OmniSky modem flashes to indicate that you have mail waiting, and you can preview the sender and header information to see whether you want to give it a read while traveling. Test e-mail replies created on the OmniSky and sent to my test recipients appeared just as if I had created them with a desktop e-mail client.

The second initiative I examined of late involves a recent enhancement to the middleware product Strategi, from Advanced BusinessLink. Strategi enables real-time business application access between WAP-enabled devices, such as a Sprint PCS device and AS/400 servers. Companies that have AS/400s (Version 3, Release 7, or later) can install Strategi and use the WML to WAP-enable AS/400-based Java, RPG (Report Program Generator), C, Cobol, or Command Language business applications.

Advanced BusinessLink officials indicated that Strategi is most useful for sales representatives and service technicians who need to interact with corporate applications while on the road. In addition, companies that are using the AS/400 as an e-commerce platform can expand the reach of their e-business applications to wireless users. Strategi, priced per concurrent user, leverages the AS/400's built-in Web-serving capabilities.

I expect you'll see many entries -- both on the front and back end -- into the wireless market this year. This is a good time to forge ahead with a pilot program that examines potential strategies. The most viable solutions will support open standards, remain device and network neutral, and offer flat pricing and business application integration.

I wrote and transmitted this column via wireless device. This brings to mind the challenges of managing a locationless workforce; those will also need to be factored in. Are you examining wireless strategies? Write to me at maggie_biggs@infoworld.com.

Maggie Biggs is director of the InfoWorld Test Center.

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