Expanded device support and developer customization tools are highlights of iAnywhere Solutions' M-Business Anywhere 6.7 software, announced today by parent company Sybase.
Hardware platforms now compatible with M-Business Anywhere include Symbian's S60, Windows Mobile 6 and Windows Vista in desktop and tablet editions. Officials said support for other flavors of Symbian, plus Google Android and the Apple iPhone, are being considered for version 7.0 but that a timeframe is not yet determined for its release.
On the development front, M-Business Anywhere can execute faster in Windows Mobile 6 by partially running in RAM instead of in Flash memory, senior product manager Yadong Liu said. In Windows Mobile 5, Microsoft confined execution to Flash memory, which was convenient for end users but worked slower, he said.
Developers also can tailor client-side user interfaces with JavaScript, and can let users integrate pictures with forms and GPS tools. That's helpful for businesses such as insurance, where adjusters can upload images and data directly from the field, Liu explained.
M-Business Anywhere 6.7, available now as a free download for developers, also features PDA and laptop support for the Mobile Inspection Toolkit which debuted in June 2007. The toolkit is designed for building offline applications that synchronize data when a network connection becomes available.
Dublin, Calif.-based Sybase this week also announced its participation in IBM's new Lotus Notes and Domino Mobile Bonus Pack 8.0.1, a catalog on CD of third-party applications given to Notes and Domino customers. The catalog includes other mobile software heavyweights such as BlackBerry maker Research In Motion and Motorola's Good Technology Group.