Antenna Software has announced the Antenna Mobility Platform
(AMP) Studio, a model-driven, standards-based development
environment for mobile business applications.
According to Jim Hemmer, Antenna's CEO, AMP Studio gives
companies the ability to use Antenna's platform to develop field
mobile solutions.
As the use of mobile applications grows and they become less and
less siloed, companies are seeking out applications that can be
used across varying devices from a single platform. By 2009,
according to Gartner Inc., roughly half of all enterprises will
have migrated away from tactical mobile application silos, which
means supporting a single application, to more strategic platforms
capable of supporting numerous applications, managing devices and
security data and transport.
Unlike proprietary development tools that limit deployment
options, AMP Studio leverages service-oriented architecture (SOA)
and technologies such as Web Services, XML/XSD/XSL and Java.
Essentially, users end up with a simple, graphical and unified
system for development and maintenance of mobile applications that
reduces development time and eases deployment.
For example, an enterprise building an application for field
sales that will interact with Siebel or SAP would have to tweak the
application so it could integrate with each different device used
by the salesforce. But AMP Studio allows for the application to be
built from the ground up; the code would be generated and the
devices would be provisioned. The applications intelligently adapt
to each different device, meaning that IT and mobile managers do
not need to change the application for different mobile operating
systems.
"You build the applications once and deploy them on BlackBerry,
Palm, Windows," Hemmer said.
AMP Studio wipes away many of the obstacles of mobile
application development, he said, including proprietary development
environments, custom and complex coding, lengthy deployment time,
and limited deployment options.
Hemmer said that AMP Studio has integration adapters to more
than 50 enterprise systems, including Oracle, Siebel, SAP, Amdocs
Clarify, NetSuite, QAD and other legacy and homegrown systems. It
can be used on-demand, on-premise or as a hybrid of both.
In addition, AMP Studio uses application templates and workflows
for field service, field sales, merchandising, retail, asset
management and other applications. It also features application
support, meaning that data from several applications can be
incorporated into a single integrated application that maps to a
user's work style and process requirements.
Lastly, the tool uses existing systems, architecture and IT
skills and is easily maintained and adapted.
Along with the availability of AMP Studio, Antenna also
announced an alliance with AT&T/Cingular to market mobility
solutions to the enterprise. As part of the partnership, AT&T
is using AMP Studio for its own Siebel CRM system for wireless
sales executives, data solutions consultants, enterprise architects
and business data solutions employees. The tools are being used on
various handhelds to mobilize Siebel CRM.
Laura Johnson, vice president of wireless enterprise solutions
for AT&T/Cingular, said the companies are developing
applications for deployment to thousands of mobile field
workers.
Charlie Bolton, vice president of global and strategic sales for
AT&T, said: "The mobile salesforce automation solution being
developed with AMP Studio will help make our sales organization
more productive by enabling sales representatives to have access to
critical customer information when and where they need it."