New IBM Software Boosts Performance, Reduces Headaches for Workers on the Go
“Equalizes” office and mobile computing resources
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C (April 07, 1998) – With IBM eNetwork* Mobile Equalizer, mobile professionals now have equal access to network computing applications and central office information without sacrificing performance or user productivity.
The innovative client/server software, announced today, provides a cost-effective way for telecommuters and mobile workers –such as sales representatives, service engineers and consultants — to work away from the office and still access vital data and applications as if they were in the office.
By 2001, nearly one out of every four workers will be mobile or in a remote location, the Gartner Group estimates. Yet current mobile solutions are often slow, expensive to develop, and sometimes different from office applications designed for high speed LANs, resulting in increased support and higher training costs. As employees move away from the office, they often lose the ability to access applications on the network, reducing productivity and effectiveness.
“Mobile Equalizer addresses the systems, network and data management issues that corporations face when building and deploying mobile solutions,” said Julie Roberson, manager of mobile marketing, IBM eNetwork Software. “The competitive advantage belongs to those who have access to the best information, no matter where they are. Mobile Equalizer empowers mobile professionals by providing them with the tools to answer customer questions, confirm inventory or place an order right from the customer site.”
Inadequate bandwidth, unreliable connections and expensive dial-up access charges are problems faced by the mobile workforce. IBM eNetwork Mobile Equalizer:
Improves data management by letting mobile users work off-line and assures efficient data delivery when reconnecting, through features such as compression and checkpoint restart, which resumes downloads where they left off — not from the beginning — if the connection is interrupted;
Allows systems administrators to easily distribute software to frequently disconnected users; and,
Improves productivity of mobile workers by allowing them to view server side data and select only the messages or files they want to retrieve during a communications session.
Based on research from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Research Group estimates that there are 50 million mobile workers in the U.S. alone.
Examples of how Mobile Equalizer can help the mobile professional and the administrators who support them:
Mobile executives who spend a lot of time in airports need to retrieve only critical Lotus Notes messages and other documents before boarding a plane. Mobile Equalizer allows them to select only the urgent data they need right then, deferring other communications.
Sales representatives need access to pricing and product information while at the client site. Mobile Equalizer ensures that they automatically receive the most current data so that they can close business before leaving the customer.
Home healthcare workers need to send and receive patient information periodically to update hospital and doctor records and file insurance reports. eNetwork Mobile Equalizer allows them to re-synchronize their laptops with the patient database and replicate selectively. It also allows them to defer receipt of large files such as software updates until they are connected to the LAN, instead of over costly dial-up lines.
Mobile Equalizer represents a true integration of the breadth and scope of IBM’s software products. It is based on IBM MQSeries* message queuing middleware to assure data delivery. It also enables electronic software distribution to mobile workers through Tivoli TME 10**, and provides selective replication to the Lotus Notes user.
Also provided with Mobile Equalizer is a toolkit complete with APIs, automation scripts and sample codes, allowing software developers to easily make any application available to mobile employees.Mobile Equalizer is another example of IBM’s e-business strategy to provide companies with the industry’s most complete range of Internet and other network computing solutions, allowing them to extend the reach of corporate data and applications to employees, business partners and customers.
Source: IBM