E-business software provider Oracle Corp. has launched the second coming of the Oracle 9I Application Server Wireless Edition to extend its grip on the location-based and personalization segments of the wireless industry.
“It is now more mature with standardized location-based service capability,” said Jacob Christfort, chief technology officer for Oracles’s mobile division as he compared the new edition with the old.
The product creates new alerts and sets customized parameters for device-specific alerts. It also creates and edits the users’ landmarks such as home and office.
It establishes branded portals that users can customize and personalize, and bookmarks for easy access.
Oracle9iAS’ messaging engine has push alerts and notifies mobile devices through e-mail, SMS and WAP.
“This is an advanced messaging system,” said Christfort, stressing that messages are not only sent over SMS but also over Simple Mail Transfer protocol, which uses advanced queuing.
Its location-based services enable customers to use Oracles’ spatial technology to locate street addresses, routes for mapping and directions, and estimate distance relationships between businesses.
Christfort said the product allows customers to build applications that can transcend geographic boundaries.
“Personalization and location have emerged as critical buying factors for companies looking for wireless solutions,” said Cynthia Hswe, a wireless analyst at The Strategis Group.
The product is used in large volume around the world and operators like Sprint PCS, Spain’s Telefonica and Scandinavia’s Telia are operators of Oracle9iAs.
“It is a continuous momentum,” said Christfort, pointing out that their competitors are still grappling with the first edition of similar products while they are well established in the second.
