Sybase squeezes more SAP into devices

With Oracle and SAP going at each other last week, Sybase has updated its Unwired Enterprise strategy to help put more SAP business applications into the field.

Sybase is today expected to announce Unwired Accelerator 8.0, extending its support for SAP by simplifying connection to mobile devices and offering greater customization.

According to SAP, Unwired Accelerator 8.0 gives developers greater scope to tailor the SAP display to suit different users' needs and the requirements of a limited screen. Unwired Accelerator 8.0 supports MySAP 2005 back to R/3 4.0.

Mobile access to SAP customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the Sybase product's strongest markets, according to Unwired product director Neil McGovern. So far, it doesn't see Sybase has plans to support Oracle.

McGovern noted SAP has done a "good job" in exposing its APIs while a "mish mash" of different techniques had been used in Oracle's applications. He noted, though, PeopleTools, part of the PeopleSoft suite, and the Unix version of JD Edwards had strong interfaces Sybase could tap.

Oracle has, of course, spent the better part of two years and $20bn buying companies with different code bases. Oracle is trying to knit those together using its web services-based Fusion Middleware architecture, due in 2008.

Unwired Accelerator is part of Sybase's Information Anywhere suite, meaning applications using Sybase's platform share one device management and security model. According to McGovern, this makes it easier for IT shops to rollout and manage a mobile infrastructure because they don't have to rely on separate security or management systems for different applications.

Other applications supported by Unwired Accelerator 8.0 include Business Objects XI, Crystal Reports XI, Lotus Notes 6.5 and BMC's Remedy Service Desk. Also provided is an Eclipse plug in, and server push and differential synchronization for BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile devices.®