Top software vendors forge tie-up

Nine of the country’s "best-of-breed" vendors have joined forces to combine their products, technologies, and services in addressing the mobile application needs of the telecommunications, financial, extended manufacturing industries, as well as government.

Hewlett-Packard Phils. Corp. and leading system integrators/independent software vendors (SI/ISV) Microsoft, BayanMap Corp., eMaya, ED Machines Inc., FindMe, Intellimedia, Jupiter Systems Inc., and Sequel Solutions Inc., have created the HP Mobile Applications council in a collaborative effort to empower Philippine enterprises through mobile applications or solutions.

The hardware-software offerings, consisting of the combined products and services of the council members, include location-based services, Web-cast tracking global positioning and roaming systems, kiosks, mobile-position platforms, Java phone applications, satellite phone communications, short-messaging services (gateway product), and mobile customer relationship management (CRM).

HP Phils. SI/ISV alliance manager Vincent Rodriguez said that with these solutions, companies can gain more through connected, intelligent, and secure real-time interactivity. "This makes them more competitive by enabling quicker response time to their customers, competitors, and changes in the marketplace. End-users become mobile professionals who are more efficient and effective with their ability to access critical information anytime, anywhere, and on any mobile device they choose," he pointed out.

Some of these mobile solutions include a BayanMap’s mobile data service for municipal government jointly with Nextel Phils.; web and wireless solutions to support Procter & Gamble’s sales and distribution also by BayanMap; FindMe’s GPS-assisted logistics support system for Cemex; wireless security system for one of the country’s leading pawnshop chains also by FindMe; Intellimedia’s sales force automation systems at Sunlife and Prudentialife; Sequel’s mobile solutions at Nestle Phils., and Coke Sarap’s mobile advertising system also by Sequel.

The solutions leverage the HP platform netservers, Jornada handhelds, Pocket PCs, mobile phones, and other mobile devices.

Sequal Solutions president Clieff Eala said that one of their offerings is the Sequel Mobile Solutions (SMS) Iris which is a web-based application that allows the user to send text messages to individuals or groups via the Intranet. Their MailAgent enables its users to send and receive e-mail via the short messaging service while their Enabler allows the user to run a software applications or initiate a system event by sending in commands via text messaging. Sequel’s mobile promotions platform provides companies with the proper infrastructure for text messaging-based ad and promo campaign.

Sequel, with its mobile promotions platform, has developed text messaging-based promotions together with Globe Telecom that include Coke Sarap, Globe Celebr8, and TXTciting. It is also responsible for the application for today’s most-watched television texting games like Game K N B? on ABS-CBN 2 and TxTers 5 on GMA 7.

Eala said that the potential for this types of application is so huge, if one simply considers the fact that around 150 million text messages a day are sent and received and there are 12 million cellphone users in the country. "In fact, we were asked to built a system that could handle as many as 1,000 messages per second," he revealed.

He also revealed that Sequel and HP hope to develop in the future applications using PDAs to be able to make full use of the current technology allowing total mobility for its users.

For his part, Webcast Technologies vice president and chief operations officer Ruel Kapunan said that the logistics support module of their vehicle tracking and management system has been found to be highly compatible with HP’s handheld computers. FindMe LBS is the flagship service of Webcast and is in the business of providing location-based services.

Their TrackMe vehicle tracking and management solution is designed to make logistics management more efficient by enabling fleet managers to know in real-time the exact location of their mobile resources, enabling them to deploy the vehicles quickly. TrackMe is currently the solution used by cement giant Cemex and their haulers. Other existing clients include FedEx, CTK Armored Car services, and some families.

The FindMe wireless technical team is currently developing other mobile location-based services that could be used for supply chain management, enhanced logistics support, in-vehicle navigation, and enhanced vehicle security.