Sept/Oct 2003

Following its acquisition of AvantGo in February, mobile data specialist iAnywhere has adapted some of its technology to upgrade its Pylon range of products for integrating Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange systems with wireless and wired networks.

The company says its new features "significantly enhance the user experience," as well as improving mobile worker productivity. They include instant access to email and PIM (personal information manager) data, with automatic "push" alerts; wider support for mobile devices such as Pocket PC and Palm systems; and better support for handling email attachments.

The range includes server and desktop applications, plus a system for converting Lotus Notes database applications into fully functional handheld applications.

Meanwhile, iAnywhere has joined the Wi-Fi Alliance in what it says is a demonstration of its commitment to the fast-growing Wi-Fi market. It is one of the first enterprise software suppliers to join the organisation, which is a non-profit making body dedicated to promoting IEEE 802.11 wireless networking.

iAnywhere, a member of the Sybase group, sells through a network of 1,000 OEM partners, but is keen to be identified in its own right as a key systems supplier for field service and logistics markets. Ojas Rege, senior director for mobile solutions, told m.logistics the company can either embed its technology in third-party applications or work with large end users such as logistics companies to help them develop their own mobile systems.

The company is one of the biggest and longest-established specialists in the mobile data market, and extended its reach further with the AvantGo acquisition. AvantGo provided a range of complementary products such as its M-Business Server, which are now being absorbed into the iAnywhere range. The AvantGo brand will be retained though for consumer-facing products.