As the guinea pig of technologies, enterprise has enjoyed some play in the wireless industry of late.
Whether in terms of alliances or new enabling solutions, carriers and enterprise players are paying more attention. Sprint PCS manifested this interest in a suite of announcements with Good Technology, USA Technologies, Coleman Technologies and Itronix Inc.
Qualcomm Inc. also showcased an insurance data solution with Mitchell International Inc. On the software plane, Bitfone Corp. agreed to extend IBM’s Websphere device management software with its over-the-air technology.
A number of carriers agreed to use Blackberry’s server, which adds support for Microsoft Exchange server 2003.
In its deal with Good Technology, Sprint plans to deliver the Goodlink Version 2.1 wireless messaging and information system. The solution allows up-to-date, cradle-free connectivity with everyone in a corporation with the advantage of access to Microsoft Exchange.
“This arrangement combines the power of GoodLink 2.1’s messaging and data capabilities with the coverage and speeds of the Third Generation Sprint network to provide integrated wireless voice and data capabilities to enterprise customers,” said Sprint.
The device used for this solution is the new Handspring Treo 600.
With Itronix, Sprint will use the Sierra Wireless Aircard 550 module on which Itronix products are based. The products include CDMA and 1x laptops, tablet PCs and other handheld devices.
Sprint describes the use of the technology as a “key step in meeting the specialized needs for mobile applications in field service and public safety, as well as additional markets for insurance, telecommunications and utility companies,” according to Phil Bowman, vice president of business marketing for Sprint PCS.
The carrier also unveiled its PCS business connection enterprise edition, which operates behind firewalls.
It says the new server solution will enable enterprise users to access Microsoft Exchange corporate e-mail via PCS phones, PCS Vision smart cards as well as other handheld and laptops on its networks.
Features include support for real-time access to e-mail with attachments, documents on a corporate shared drive and personal information management, which includes such applications as calendar and personal and corporate contacts.
“Wireless e-mail is no longer just a luxury for top executives, but a true productivity tool for the millions of mobile workers who spend the majority of their time away from their desks,” said Bowman.
Bitfone and IBM combined their solutions and will jointly market them. Under the deal, IBM’s Websphere device management software will be integrated into Bitfone’s mProve solution.
“The integration … can help customers to avoid software-related recalls and reduce customer support costs, thus helping service providers deliver better and more cost-effective customer service in an increasingly competitive wireless landscape,” said Jonathan Prial, vice president, sales and business development.
Over-the-air technology should help to accelerate the use of wireless devices on wireless networks by avoiding some of the bottlenecks between end user, carrier and device maker.
Qualcomm said Mitchell International will team with the San Diego-based vendor to streamline automotive collision claims. Mitchell’s product is called eClaim manager and it enables carriers to access essential claim data anytime anywhere, according to Qualcomm. It uploads completed estimates, documents and images and downloads new assignments in the background.
“By making wireless communications easily and seamlessly available to field appraisers, Mitchell’s eClaim eliminates trips to the office to manually connect to the corporate network,” said Qualcomm.
