Newsletter 42

IBM has launched a major initiative to extend its presence in the mobile computing applications market. There are new software applications, a new mobile development environment and a mobile consultancy service. There are also resources to convert existing desktop business applications directly into mobile applications.

Although IBM has had a presence in mobile computing for a long time, it has evidently decided it needs to ratchet up its perceived market presence.

Perhaps of most immediate interest is its new development environment, which is branded IBM Rational Business Developer. This is said to help developers create “Web 2.0-style” applications that will run on both mainframe and mobile devices.

Other components include IBM’s Rational Host Access Transformation Services, enabling developers to provide can access mainframe applications from mobile devices; and its Cognos 8 Go! Mobile suite, which aims to provide users with access to secure and personalised information on mobile devices and operating systems.

 

Underpinning the whole drive is IBM’s new business consulting service, Mobility@Work.