.KEYWORD techxny
.FLYINGHEAD CONVENTION REPORT
.TITLE Enterprise software solutions all the rage at TECHXNY
.FEATURE
.SPOTLIGHT FIGALT cover.gif
.SUMMARY A ton of enterprise software solutions for the Palm OS was on display at this year’s TECHXNY. In this article, Steve Niles shares what he learned about the huge range of software solutions available.
.AUTHOR Steve Niles
Enterprise software for the Palm OS was on display at this year’s TECHXNY (formerly PC Expo), which was held in New York City from June 26-28, 2001 at the Jacob Javits Center pictured in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A TECHXNY was held in New York’s Jacob Javits Center.
Palm’s presence at the event was so great that it even spread out to the surrounding buildings, as can be seen in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B Palm took every opportunity to show off their wares.
Inside the convention center, we were excited to see that the showroom floor could barely contain the sprawling Palm pavilion that spilled out onto the main concourse, as shown in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C The Palm pavilion spilled out onto the main concourse.
Once on the floor, Palm and its partners were hard to miss. Palm obviously invested considerably in supporting and promoting its partners. As you can see in Figure D, large banners hung from the rafters, attendees crowded around exhibitor booths, and giant, spinning Palm logos beckoned visitors to the ongoing demonstration area.
.FIGPAIR D The Palm pavilion stretched off into the distance.
There was a lot to see, and our ZATZ editorial team was there in force. Palm’s enterprise solutions were a major focus and my primary area of interest. David and Denise spent most of their time meeting with Palm senior executives such as Doug Solomon, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer and Dan Glessner, Director of Enterprise Marketing. I’ll do my best to share some of what I learned by visiting the various booths of Palm’s partners. Let’s get right to it.
.H1 IS/Complete
IS/Complete was showing off a new version of IrPrint (at http://www.irprint.com), a printing solution for Palm OS handhelds, which now supports printing of Word and Excel files with Documents To Go from DataViz. The program restores formatting from the PC including bold, italics, underlines, justifications, outlines, tables, and even color.
In Figure E you can see IS/Complete’s Bob Shiros using BeamCast technology to beam a copy of IrPrint to a TECHXNY attendee.
.FIGPAIR E IrPrint was beaming its way into Palm handhelds throughout the event.
Other enhancements to IrPrint include support for Palm OS through version 4.0. Additional printer drivers have been added, such as SiPix (at http://www.sipix.com), new models from Hewlett Packard, and the Citizen mobile printer (at http://www.citizen-america.com/products/pn60i.html). In addition to localization in English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian, optional printing in Japanese has been added to the SiPix printer. The IrPrint program allows printing from the standard Palm OS handheld applications and can be accomplished via IR or cable.
.H1 Chapura
This year, the folks at Chapura were talking about their new Jibe software at http://www.chapura.com/html/products/jibe/jibe_features.php. Jibe 1.1 was designed exclusively for users of Microsoft Outlook Express and Palm Desktop, providing three-way synchronization between Microsoft Outlook Express, Palm Desktop, and the Palm OS handheld’s Address Book. Chapura’s booth is pictured in Figure F.
.FIGPAIR F Keith Ellenberg, Chapura’s Chief Operating Officer, demonstrated some funky jibe.
If you add, change, or delete information on any one of these applications, Jibe software ensures that all three will have the updated first name, last name, company name, and email addresses. Jibe can also synchronize multiple handhelds to the same PC by allowing you to select the identity in Outlook Express with which you want to synchronize.
.H1 Extended Systems
As shown in Figure G, Extended Systems, Inc. (at http://www.extendedsystems.com) was on hand in the Palm pavilion following a recent announcement that the two companies have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent for Palm to resell Extended Systems’ XTNDConnect Server Software as a Palm branded product by the fourth quarter of this year.
.FIGPAIR G Extended Systems’ Jeff Warner was on hand to talk about XTNDConnect.
You may remember that Palm had planned to acquire Extended Systems but eventually the companies came to a mutual agreement to end the acquisition. The slowing economy and market conditions led them to conclude that a termination of merger plans would best serve both companies and their respective shareholders. However, this new deal shows the continuing strong relationship between these two companies.
XTNDConnect Server is designed to make mobile device deployment and behind-the-firewall access to real-time business information simple and secure. Any corporate information that resides on Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, and ODBC (Open Data Base Connectivity)-compliant database servers will be accessible from Palm OS handhelds by using XTNDConnect.
XTNDConnect Server offers IT managers centrally controlled systems-management tools. IT managers also will see other mobile and wireless computing benefits for their organizations from implementing Palm handhelds and the XTNDConnect Server software, including greater flexibility, investment protection, and larger services and solution choices.
.H1 Gearworks
As shown in Figure H, Gearworks (at http://www.gearworks.com) was demonstrating etrace 2.0, a mobile communications and work management platform for transportation and field service industries.
.FIGPAIR H Enterprises can make use of etrace 2.0 for mobile communications and work management.
The tracking/communication software operates via Palm OS handhelds and Internet-enabled phones or pagers. You can use etrace to capture a legal signature for proof of delivery, transmit GPS-based tracking information, obtain real-time driving directions, and define your own smart mobile forms, all through a Palm OS device. In Figure I, etrace is shown running on a rugged Palm OS handheld from Symbol.
.FIGPAIR I Here etrace has been optimized for a plumbing company.
.H1 Salesnet
Salesnet (at http://www.salesnet.com) had a booth in Palm’s pavilion as shown in Figure J.
.FIGPAIR J Use your wireless Palm handheld to access Web-based sales tools.
Salesnet delivers sales process management and automation to enterprises via a Web-based application for sales process management and a Web-based marketing automation module. You can now access these services on-the-go with a wireless Palm handheld.
.H1 Trust Digital
Trust Digital was demonstrating their Palm OS security product, PDASecure (at http://www.trustdigital.com/prod1.htm) that incorporates six different encryption standards. Their booth is pictured in Figure K.
.FIGPAIR K Kevin Shahbazi, Trust Digital’s Assistant VP of Marketing demonstrated PDASecure.
PDASecure enables secure password and data encryption for Palm handhelds. The application works in two modes: Local Mode, in which specific applications selected by the user or administrator are secured, and Global Mode, in which the Palm handheld itself is locked and applications are secured. PDASecure is designed to have universal integration with all applications installed on a Palm handheld.
This is an exciting product for business users, who commonly keep proprietary information or applications stored on the Palm OS device. In the event that your Palm handheld is stolen, PDASecure won’t allow unauthorized synchronization and download to a desktop PC through the Palm cradle. You can also keep your desktop PC applications, including your Palm Desktop data, secure with Trust Digital’s ForeverSecure product.
.H1 eGrabber
eGrabber (at http://www.egrabber.com/palm) announced at TECHXNY the release of AddressGrabber v2.7 which is designed to allow you to easily transfer contact information with one-click from contact managers, accounting applications, email, Web pages, existing address books, or text documents to your Palm handheld. This could definitely help businesses simplify their sales lead generation, accounting, mailing, and shipping processes. The eGrabber booth is pictured in Figure L.
.FIGPAIR L eGrabber automatically captures contact information.
.H1 Bluefish Wireless
Bluefish Wireless, Inc. (at http://www.bluefishusa.com) was touting the Bluefish Network, a free service that enables you to make secure transactions through the Internet without a wireless modem connection using your Palm OS handheld. Users can upload and download content on-the-go via their handheld’s infrared port through any Bluefish access point like the one pictured in Figure M, or by performing a HotSync operation.
.FIGPAIR M Upload and download content on-the-go via a Bluefish access point.
Bluefish infrared information access points were used throughout Palm’s booth and PluggedIn Partner Pavilion. They allowed you to download virtual stores and paperless brochures from Palm and its partners. You could then make purchases and upload answers to Palm’s trivia game through the Internet without a modem connection simply by beaming back to the access points.
.H1 Pumatech
Pumatech (at http://www.pumatech.com) unveiled its Enterprise Intellisync software at TECHXNY. Enterprise Intellisync is designed to benefit corporations seeking to deploy Pumatech’s Intellisync synchronization software across the enterprise from one centralized location.
.H1 AppForge
AppForge (at http://www.appforge.com) is a Visual Basic development environment for the Palm OS platform. It enables Visual Basic programmers to create sophisticated applications for Palm OS handhelds. This is an important tool for the enterprise, as it allows businesses to easily create custom applications that can be installed on the Palm handhelds of the employees. AppForge was being demonstrated at TECHXNY as can be seen in Figure N.
.FIGPAIR N AppForge was on display alongside their trademark lava lamps.
.H1 ZFrame
ZFrame (at http://www.zframe.com) is a really cool new application that will change the way we think about Web surfing on Palm handhelds. Web content (including dynamically generated pages), intranet applications, email plus attachments, documents, and spreadsheets can all be viewed using ZFrame. Web pages are displayed true to form, only shrunken. You can see what I mean in the screen capture from ZFrame’s flash demonstration pictured in Figure O.
.FIGPAIR O ZFrame displays Web pages shrunken to fit the Palm handheld screen.
Individual links can then be enlarged and read by moving your stylus around the screen. It’s difficult to describe, so I recommend you check out the flash demonstration for yourself at http://www.zframe.com/demo.html.
.H1 HanDBase
DDH Software (at http://www.ddhsoftware.com) launched a program to offer HanDBase solutions that have been created by and for medical professionals. The company teamed with several healthcare industry professionals who have developed various HanDBase applications for their own use and have expressed an interest in making these tools widely available to medical professionals around the world.
DDH Software has taken several HanDBase databases created by medical professionals and transformed them into standalone applications. The company has put its resources into designing, building, and testing handheld medical applications that met the rigid standards of each of the healthcare professionals who created the initial applications.
DDH Software also unveiled its new HanDBase Data Exchange at TECHXNY. HanDBase Data Exchange will enable HanDBase users to integrate their handheld databases with Microsoft Access on desktop PCs and ODBC compatible software applications (e.g. FileMaker Pro, Oracle, My SQL, etc.) on corporate networks.
.PAGE
.H1 Conclusion
I was impressed by the number of enterprise software solutions on display at TECHXNY. Palm’s commitment to the enterprise market was evident, and it was a lot of fun to meet the people who make such amazing things possible. Be sure to check out all these great products and services and learn more about how Palm and its partners can enhance your job.
Of course, this wasn’t all TECHXNY had to offer. To learn about the great hardware solutions on display, check out my article, "TECHXNY features cool enterprise hardware solutions," elsewhere in this issue.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on TECHXNY, visit http://www.techxny.com.
For more information on IS/Complete’s IrPrint, visit http://www.irprint.com.
For more information on SiPix, visit http://www.sipix.com.
For more information on the Citizen mobile printer, visit http://www.citizen-america.com/products/pn60i.html.
For more information on Chapura’s Jibe software, visit http://www.chapura.com/html/products/jibe/jibe_features.php.
For more information on Extended Systems Inc., visit http://www.extendedsystems.com.
For more information on Gearworks, visit http://www.gearworks.com.
For more information on Salesnet, visit http://www.salesnet.com.
For more information on PDASecure, visit http://www.trustdigital.com/prod1.htm.
For more information on eGrabber, visit http://www.egrabber.com/palm.
For more information on Bluefish Wireless, Inc., visit http://www.bluefishusa.com.
For more information on Pumatech, visit http://www.pumatech.com.
For more information on AppForge, visit http://www.appforge.com.
For more information on ZFrame, visit http://www.zframe.com.
For more information on DDH Software, visit http://www.ddhsoftware.com.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6f708
