Microsoft claims to have come up with a "killer application" for
devices running its Pocket PC Phone Edition operating system
software. At the DemoMobile show taking place this week in
California, the company will demonstrate its Enterprise Location
Server that allows enterprise customers to build applications for
mobile devices that make use of location-based services.
Customers purchasing Microsoft's server are expected to be able to
build applications that let Pocket PC Phone Edition devices get
maps that identify where the user is at any given time, where other
users are, and nearby points of interest.
The server software will, initially, target enterprise customers.
For example, a cable company might use the server to create an
application that would direct field service representatives to
nearby installation jobs. Such an application could deliver to an
employee's handset a map of a day's worth of job sites, as well as
directions to each of those locations.
Microsoft is teaming up with AT&T Wireless Services for the
initial offering. AT&T Wireless will provide all the location
information to enterprise customers that purchase the server
software. It has built an XML (Extensible Markup Language) Web
service that locates a handset and exposes that information to an
application via the Enterprise Location Server. Using that
geographical information, Microsoft has designed the server
software to then call on its MapPoint.Net service to receive maps
and driving directions.
The server also allows application developers to call on other
services to receive such things as instant messenger buddy lists,
so that a user could identify the physical location of each person
on his buddy list.
"It will be very easy for the enterprise to take that information
and extend it in any application," said Steve Lombardi, technical
product manager for MapPoint.Net.
Applications that run on the Enterprise Location Server make use of
the .net Compact Framework, Microsoft's software runtime
environment that allows .net applications to run on small handheld
devices, such as those based on the Windows CE operating system.
Microsoft released the second beta version of the .net Compact
Framework on Monday.
AT&T is expected to sell enterprise customers a Pocket PC Phone
Edition handset for use on its network that will facilitate new
location-based applications, according to Microsoft. That phone is
undergoing trials and is due for release commercially next
year.
Pricing and availability of the Microsoft Enterprise Location
Server were not yet available.