Andy Sjostrom
07-23-2004, 05:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.syware.com/newsrev/pr/menab2.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.syware.com/newsrev/pr/menab2.htm</a><br /><br /></div>Syware announced yesterday mEnable 2.0, a database application that allows application to reach remote ODBC databases. An exciting feature is the flip switch between "Always Connected" and "Sometimes Connected". When in "Always Connected" mode, data is always fetched in real time and in a connected state. In "Sometimes Connected" mode, data continous to be available locally and changes made to that data is automatically synchronized back to the server when a new connection can be established. mEnable 2.0 will ship during Q3 2004. The software is priced at $499 for the mEnable SDK plus 10 run-time licenses. The mEnable SDK packaged with 100 run-times is $1999.<br /><br />Read on for the entire press release! <!><br />"Cambridge, MA (July 21, 2004) - SYWARE, Inc., a leading developer of intuitive database tools for business and personal productivity, today announced mEnableŽ 2.0, the company's wireless software that provides mobile users with interactive, real-time access to enterprise data. The new version of mEnable allows users to run Visual CEŽ database applications on their handheld and directly connect to any ODBC-enabled database residing on a corporate server. With Visual CE, flexible forms and powerful databases can be created quickly and easily. <br /><br />mEnable 2.0 allows developers to create data-driven applications that wirelessly connect Windows, Windows CE, and Windows Mobile Pocket PC devices with corporate servers in one of two ways: 'Sometimes Connected' or 'Always Connected.' In 'Sometimes Connected' mode, when the network is available, users read from and write to the enterprise server. When coverage is lost, they work locally. When coverage is restored, the local and server databases are synchronized and users resume working against the server. In 'Always Connected' mode, users have continuous, real-time access to server data. This allows interaction with large, complex databases that are beyond the capability of a handheld device. <br /><br />The alternative is a web browser-based application. Programming this same kind of functionality into a Pocket PC-based web browser would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Pocket Internet Explorer does not afford the same flexibility and is slow. Alternatives like JavaScript are also slow and significantly more complicated.<br /><br />mEnable 2.0 runs on any LAN, WAN, or Internet connections using the TCP/IP protocol. The network can be based on local Ethernet, Internet protocol, 802.11 wireless LAN, or Bluetooth for short-range wireless in conjunction with a cell phone's long-range capabilities.<br /><br />"The ability to interact with live server data provides compelling benefits for mobile users and their organizations," said Sy Danberg, President of SYWARE. "But businesses need to be productive at all times. mEnable delivers the flexibility they need to provide complete and timely information to mobile professionals. For some companies, it makes sense to use 'Sometimes Connected' mode, such as when users go into a building or structure that the network can't penetrate, or if they are in a rural area where coverage isn't available. For other companies, it makes sense to use 'Always Connected' mode, such as when working with large, inventory databases."<br /><br />From Manufacturing to Retail Applications<br />When using mEnable 2.0 in 'always connected' mode, a local data cache on the handheld device is not required. If a retail department store has a large number of SKUs to keep track of, it may not be possible to store all the data locally on the device. Processing inventory items may be much quicker with a high bandwidth 'always connected' interface to the corporate server where employees can get real-time access to centralized data.<br /><br />But many companies work in a 'sometimes connected' world. For example, the corporate network of a major aircraft manufacturer is designed to provide plant engineers with reliable real-time access to the server. However, engineers crawl in and out of planes all day. Once they get inside, coverage is often lost. A 'sometimes connected' application allows them to take their handhelds into the plane and enter data as they work, then makes that data available to the server as soon as the connection returns. <br /><br />Flexible Forms & Easy-to-Use Databases<br />mEnable 2.0 works in conjunction with any ODBC-enabled software, including SYWARE's Visual CE, the award-winning forms and database development software for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. Visual CE's drag-and-drop customization enables the rapid creation of database and forms applications by programmers and business professionals alike; no programming is required. Users simply decide what information is needed, then drag and drop controls to create custom electronic forms. <br /><br />Visual CE's flexible forms designer provides complete control over the form creation process. Text, numbers, and pictures can be placed anywhere on the screen. Applications can draw from a complete set of controls: drop down lists, labels, edit boxes, note boxes, check boxes, radio buttons, command buttons, lookups, grid control, and more. Font control, device-based printing, timestamps, Digital Ink (scribble), and calculated fields are also supported. Additional features include support for color, data filtering, wild card searches, password protection, and calculations across records. <br /><br />Pricing & Delivery<br />mEnable 2.0 runs on the full spectrum of mobile, Windows-based PCs, from handheld units to tablets to laptops, including Windows XP-powered Tablet PCs, Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, and all devices running Windows CE, Windows 9x, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows XP.<br /><br />mEnable 2.0 will ship during Q3 2004. The software is priced at $499 for the mEnable SDK plus 10 run-time licenses. The mEnable SDK packaged with 100 run-times is $1999."