Intelligent agent technology has been long considered a potential boon for messaging applications looking to provide meaningful content to wireless devices.
Agents are small bits of code capable of monitoring data, recognizing what information is valuable to its user and then transmitting it to a predetermined location. Having proven popular in computer environments, developers have been working to extend the technology to the wireless environment as well, taking advantage of the current convergence between computers and wireless service.
This effort has begun to yield results. Two third-party application providers introduced solutions that use intelligent agent technology for push services to wireless devices.
Most recent is AmikaNow!-a spinoff of the National Research Council of Canada, which primarily researches and develops intelligent agents. The company launched a set of first-generation intelligent e-mail content interpretation tools called AmikaFreedom and AmikaWisdom. The company likened the service to that of an e-mail clerk, delivering the highlights of incoming e-mail to wireless devices, rather than the whole message.
The software is a plug-in to Microsoft Outlook 98 and 2000. Residing in the computer, it is able to monitor all incoming e-mail for the user when he or she is away from the desk.
Rather than forwarding entire e-mail messages to the user, AmikaNow!’s technology highlights the important information in a given message and transmits just that part of the message to the user. It also can summarize long messages down to the important details by looking for and transmitting only certain predefined key words. The idea, the company said, is to transmit shorter messages better suited to fit the small screens of wireless devices.
The technology can transmit to pagers, wireless phones or wirelessly enabled personal digital assistants, as well as to other desktop computers.
AmikaFreedom and AmikaWisdom are in beta trials today, with expectations they’ll be available commercially in the fall. Bell Mobility has integrated the technology and is scheduling tests this month.
Another product, launched last week, is Roku Technologies Inc.’s Roku 1.0, an intelligent agent that monitors a desktop computer’s incoming e-mail and schedule list.
Roku’s basic purpose is to filter and re-format information. Users create what the company called a personal information channel, detailing the information they want monitored, what requirements must be met for notification, and the type of device on which they desire notification.
The software sits in the computer and recognizes when e-mail is received or when an impending appointment is approaching. It then sends the user a notification message with the name of the sender, a brief summary of the message and-if it already resides in the device’s phone book or was included in the message-the sender’s phone number.
The software is able to transmit notifications through the computer’s Internet connection to the Internet gateway of the subscriber’s wireless carrier. The kicker is that Roku also is able to format the notification message to best fit the network and device, as long as it is text-enabled-be it alphanumeric pager or wireless phone equipped with short message service technology.
While AmikaNow! is a carrier-based solution, Roku is user-based. Roku’s free software, available on its Web site, can be installed on any computer running Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 or greater. It is compatible with networks operated by Nextel Communications Inc., AT&T Wireless Services Inc., GTE Wireless, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Omnipoint Communications Inc., Ameritech Corp., Vodafone AirTouch plc and Clearnet Communications Inc.
Paging carriers include Paging Network Inc., Metrocall Inc., Arch Communications Group Inc., AirTouch Paging, PageMart Wireless Inc. and SkyTel Communications Inc.
Roku 1.0 is the first step in the company’s overall vision. Version 1.0 merely is a notification service, alerting users to events and changes to data in the information channel. The company said version 2.0 will go just beyond notification of e-mail and schedules, allowing users to interact with documents, databases and other shared information on their computers from any browser, including wireless microbrowsers.
Applications such as these point to how intelligent agents are seen as a way to provide greater value for wireless messaging applications and devices, be it alphanumeric paging or SMS technology on digital wireless phones-both of which are struggling for acceptance in the U.S. market.
The ability to transmit information over different platforms, such as intranet servers to paging networks, is central to offering meaningful and personal content.
“The whole key to information is being able to move it freely and seamlessly from one place to another without confinement,” said Larry Swasey, analyst at Allied Business Intelligence. “It increases the appeal of the device.”
Paging operators have made aggressive steps in this area, but voice carriers have not been as visionary about their messaging ability, according to analysts.
“As I have said before, SMS is a high-technology service that you provide today. While most of your competitors probably offer it, most salespeople don’t use it or know what it is capable of,” said Tyler Proctor, vice president of Zsigo Wireless Data Consultants Inc. in his most recent NewZwire briefing. “Use your SMS service as a differentiator. Show people what it can do for them. If your customer has an e-mail address, they have a need of SMS. Don’t expect them to figure it out, show them what it can do for them.”
