OKI, First in the Industry to Unveil Platform to Develop Business Applications for Smartphones
"MoBiz Platform™" streamlines development and reduces costs for enterprises developing mobile applications. OKI also offers maintenance business support application "MoBiz AP™ For CE Support System"
TOKYO, September 9, 2009 -- OKI Electric Industry (TSE: 6703) today announced it has unveiled the "MoBiz™" package software product line for the Japanese market, which is a mobile solution for companies that use smartphones(*1) as business devices. Initially, OKI will offer "MoBiz Platform™," - the first full-scale middleware(*2) platform in the industry for developing and implementing business applications on smartphones - and "MoBiz AP™ for CE Support System," an application to support the maintenance business and the first application package to operate on MoBiz Platform.
With the spread of high-speed broadband 3G network services, mobile devices have become more convenient to use. In addition to voice communications, enterprises are using mobile devices as a business system for customer engineers (CEs) in situ at customer sites. However, compared to laptops, mobile phones have smaller screens for limited mobile web browsers, and smaller buttons for full-scale work. Thus, standard practice is to combine a mobile phone with a laptop. Further, many enterprises are concerned about the costs and effect of customer satisfaction related to mobile phone usage.
The high-performance smartphones, which has been on the market since around 2007, is receiving more attention recently both as a solution to overcome the above drawbacks with mobile phones and as a device to realize a more convenient and user-friendly mobile business system.
"We are excited to announce the middleware packaged product, 'MoBiz Platform,' which has been developed jointly by OKI and OKI ACCESS Technologies. Using this product, enterprise users can shorten smartphone application development times and develop and operate low cost mobile applications. This is because this middleware overcomes the limits posed by smartphones, such as smaller screens than laptop computers and unstable access to 3G networks compared to LAN." said Yuichiro Hiranuma, General Manager of System Platform Center at OKI. "Going forward OKI will continue to offer business solution packages in the 'MoBiz AP' series to solve problems for enterprises using mobile devices."
"MoBiz AP for CE Support System" is the first application package to operate on "MoBiz Platform." CEs will be armed with information at customers' sites and enterprises will be able to reduce the time to introduce a CE support system. "MoBiz AP for CE Support System" enhances the collaboration with the headquarters and CEs in the field. In addition, since it provides location information and CE status, it can help improve customer satisfaction and comply with users' service level agreements by increasing the number of visits CEs can make in a day.
OKI and OKI Customer Adtech, an OKI Group company providing maintenance service, jointly developed "@ Smart CE System" - a system to support CEs based on "MoBiz Platform" and "MoBiz AP for CE Support System." OKI Customer Adtech provides smartphones to 1,200 CEs throughout Japan.
In addition to offering "MoBiz Platform" and "MoBiz AP," OKI can also assist in customizing developer systems for mobile applications that use MoBiz Platform.
[Reference] Product summary
1. "MoBiz Platform"
The middleware platform to develop and implement business applications for smartphones, "MoBiz Platform," consists of MoBiz server and MoBiz client.
To develop business applications for MoBiz server, a standard framework compliant to J2EE(*3) can be used to leverage Java application development skills. OKI also offers "Widget function(*4)," to develop applications for MoBiz client for compact web application based on a browser engine. Users can develop applications with sophisticated security functions that are compliant with W3C Widget1.0(*5). "MoBiz Platform" was developed by OKI and OKI ACCESS Technologies, a joint venture between OKI and ACCESS.
2. MoBiz AP for CE Support System
MoBiz AP for CE Support System is an application package product that supports customer engineers in the field, and aids visualization of operates for headquarters.
Utilizing the advantages of "MoBiz Platform," this support system includes various functions that overcome the drawbacks of mobile systems based on conventional mobile phones. Thus, it improves usability in the field and enables real-time communication and sharing between headquarters and the field.
Glossary
- *1 :Smartphone
In addition to voice communication, this is a mobile device with various functions such as full-scale networking, scheduling and personal information management.
- *2 :Middleware
There are times when complex procedures are required for communication between servers and database on the network, when operating application programs. Middleware is software that sits between the OS and application software to make communication easier.
- *3 :J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition)
This is a Java2 standard to develop and implement Java for server software. J2EE includes technologies such as Enterprise Java Beans to combine Java programs and Java Server Pages to embed Java programs in web pages for motion content.
- *4 :Widget function
This is a generic term for simple applications to enable specific functions on the client devices. Though similar to an applet, widgets have a higher graphical user interface (GUI) element.
- *5 :W3C Widget1.0
This is a widget standard agreement established by The Web Application Formats Working Group in W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).
About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. OKI provides top-quality products, technologies and solutions to its customers through its info-telecom system business and printer business. All businesses function as a collective force to create exciting new products and technologies that satisfy a spectrum of customer needs in various markets. Visit OKI's global web site at http://www.oki.com/.
About OKI ACCESS Technologies Co., Ltd.
OKI ACCESS was established in November 2005 as a joint venture between Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd, and ACCESS Co., Ltd., to become the leading company in next generation mobile communication technology and voice and video media technologies. The company integrates these two technologies as middleware, and deploys them to various systems such as mobile phones, net-based home appliances, ubiquitous office systems, etc., to create a new value for products and services. OKI ACCESS contributes in establishing an enriched life and business environment through their products and services. http://www.oki-access.com
- MoBiz, MoBiz Platform, MoBiz AP are trademarks of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
- ACCESS is a registered trademark of ACCESS CO., LTD.
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