Nokia has forged a partnership with Fujitsu to boost the
uptake of wireless-based corporate services.Under the deal, Nokia will provide several
higher-end handsets based on the Symbian operating system, while
Fujitsu will offer systems integration, consulting and managed
services.
The partnership with Fujitsu follows similar
deals with IBM and Oracle.
At the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes earlier
this year, Oracle and Nokia launched a joint initiative to extend
Oracle's Collaboration Suite messaging application to Nokia
phones
At the same time IBM and Nokia announced plans
to make Nokia handsets work with IBM's WebSphere middleware and its
new Wireless Enterprise Delivery Environment.
Under separate deals, Nokia's handsets,
including the 6800 messaging device, the 9210 Communicator and
several phones running the Symbian operating system, will support
both Oracle's and IBM's applications.
"While the IBM and Oracle deals are focused on
providing mobile access to their software applications, the Fujitsu
partnership is more generic in nature," said a Nokia spokesman.
"Fujitsu is not linking its service to any one particular software
application or platform."
All three deals, he added, are part of Nokia's
strategy to help enterprises extend their in-house IT resources,
such as e-mail, calendars and databases, to employees on the
move.
Nokia and Fujitsu will collaborate in
developing and providing not only these core enterprise
applications but also others, such as customised vertical
applications and easy-to-use mobile terminal connectivity.
Service from the two companies is available in
the UK and the Nordic region, and will be extended to other markets
in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as the Asia Pacific
region, beginning in early 2004.
Hartwall, a Finnish brewery and soft drinks
producer, has already implemented an enterprise mobility system
developed with Fujitsu utilizing the Nokia 9201i Communicator,
Nokia said.
The service allows truck drivers to enter
goods flow information into their Nokia Communicators, while
servicing customers on their delivery and pick-up routes. From the
Communicators, the information is transferred to Hartwall's SAP
enterprise software system.
While the brewery benefits from accelerated
communication, reduced errors and no duplicated work, the truck
drivers have better control over their own work, as the system
enables them to report changes in deliveries and any packaging
returned from customers, according to Hartwall sales and logistics
director Ralf Hollmén.
John Blau writes for IDG News Service