IBM and Nokia Take Mobility Deeper Into the Enterprise

The combination of Nokias Communicator platform and IBMs mobile software offers increased functionality, such as instant messaging, increased personal productivity, ubiquitous connectivity and superior user experience of enterprise applications into the hands of mobile workers worldwide. Initially targeted at sales and field force automation in the pharmaceutical, insurance and government industries, early implementers will include Pfizer, Ricoh and Daimler Chrysler. This will allow, for example, field personnel and sales representatives to access work orders and sales manuals from their company servers via Nokia communicators, provide faster and more efficient service, and reduce their cost of sales and services. The solutions are powered by a mix of IBM software products optimized for the Nokia Communicator platform running on the Symbian Operating System. These include WebSphere Everyplace Access Client, WebSphere Everyplace Connection Manager Client, WebSphere Micro Environment, IBM Tivoli and Lotus Sametime Instant Messaging Client for the Nokia Communicator. These provide access to a wide range of enterprise backend systems, enabling users to maintain a seamless connection to critical information, and enable enterprises and service providers to securely extend a new class of high value applications and services to mobile users. IBM Global Services will provide system integration services for these solutions. Together, Nokia and IBM have developed the extremely comprehensive Java environment for the enterprise mobility including J2ME MIDP 2.0 and CDC Personal Profile 1.0 and several other mobile and wireless Java APIs. IBM WebSphere Micro Environment for the Symbian OS will provide a J2ME Personal Profile runtime environment in the new Nokia 9500 Communicator to enable middleware integration and the extension of enterprise services to the mobile space. Developers will be able to use a desktop Java Development Kit, which is compatible with the Java environment in the Nokia Communicator. This will enable them to extend their existing Java-based applications to the device by using the skills and resources they already have. IBM is also tuning its WebSphere Studio Device Developer software tools to create an environment tailored for efficient development and optimization of enterprise applications that will run on the Nokia Communicators. In addition, IBM Tivoli mobile device solutions allow enterprise customers to extend the same system management software used to manage desktops, laptops and servers to mobile devices on demand through the Tivoli Provisioning Manager and Tivoli Configuration Manager products. This improves the efficiency of managing the business as mobile devices will be able to receive configuration setting and software application downloads on the fly, without relying on a hard-wired connection to a server or desktop. This enterprise mobility platform gives enterprise software vendors, such as Siebel Systems, an opportunity to create more value for their clients in a mobile environment. For example Siebel Pharma, the pharmaceutical industrys market leading sales force automation solution, can take an advantage of the unique capabilities and ubiquitous network connectivity of the new Nokia 9500 Communicator.