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When you consider which applications to deploy in a mobile scenario, the choices almost always coincide with the same applications that are or will be Web-enabled. Web-based access to data has been in place for some time to better serve customers and to increase employee productivity. Mobile computing, in many cases, simply demands a new medium with which to access that data. In these situations, since the infrastructure is already in place, the bulk of the burden for a mobile initiative lies with the developers.

Most mobile devices are capable of handling HTML, cHTML or WML content. Yet just as developers had issues with screen resolution and Web content in years past, they must now deal with a multitude of devices, each handling different content with different display needs. There are several solutions available:

>>  Custom development. Develop sites specifically for each device you will support. The downside? Long development cycles, the unending number of new devices introduced and maintenance costs. The upside? Many popular development environments include the capability to integrate this support into applications. IBM, Oracle and Sybase all offer mobile device support within their platforms. While this reduces development cycles, it can't, however, adequately address the issue of new or changing device requirements.

J2ME and BREW provide toolkits for creating applications to be deployed on mobile devices, but be wary if you're thinking of just extending access to existing applications as you'll need to develop, maintain and support another set of applications just to provide mobile access. And yet, there are advantages to this approach. Both J2ME and BREW promise to provide interoperability with a multitude of mobile devices, offering the capability to write a single application rather than multiple translations from HTML to a format every mobile device can understand.

>>  Transcoders. Coming in both software and hardware flavors, transcoders let you support hundreds of devices with minimal effort -- and without changes to existing applications and content. Cisco Systems, with CTE 1400; uLead Software, with WebChameleon; WebUnwired and others offer solutions that can ease the pain of developing for mobile devices with easy-to-use mapping and translation software.

Given the number of devices and displays available and the number of new devices certain to appear soon, a transcoding system can be much less expensive than the cost for staffers to build and maintain the same support by hand. Updates are sure to include support for new devices, leaving developers to concentrate on more mission-critical projects. But don't be fooled -- there's still plenty of work to be done even if you choose to use a transcoding solution. Design tools provide a mechanism for less technical staff to create "templates" from which HTML will be translated to formats suitable for specific devices, but the design for each page must be created by you. The old truth holds even here -- there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Going Mobile?

With any initiative involving new technology, there are many challenges to be met and overcome. Mobile computing offers additional hurdles due to fluctuating standards, coverage, development options and special infrastructure needs.

Real-time development is particularly challenging due to myriad device options, connectivity issues, the cost of the supporting infrastructure, and the price in time and dollars associated with development of applications and hardware. For B2E initiatives some of these challenges are alleviated because the business can determine what devices will be supported and can limit the options, making application development more straightforward as well as reducing the training cost. Implementing real-time access for B2C is more challenging, since the issue of device support makes the process of development and infrastructure support more complex.

Synchronization is also fraught with obstacles. How often will synchronization take place? How will synchronization occur? How will software distribution take place? The development challenges, infrastructure needs and middleware support for synchronization can be overwhelming at first, but they are not deal breakers. Careful development and infrastructure planning can alleviate most of the issues that surround a synchronized application architecture.

If you choose to develop translation routines for existing Web content, a transcoding solution is probably your best bet. Such a system brings flexibility and additional advantages you won't see in a custom development option; for example, the CTE 1400 can optimize the HTML-based content before translating to another format. Finally, if you're looking at providing mobile access to back-end systems, take a long hard look at the available middleware solutions. They're sure to save you time and money on such an intense endeavor.

Technology editor Lori MacVittie has been a software developer and a network administrator. Most recently, she was a member of the technical architecture team for a global transportation and logistics organization. Send your comments on this article to her at lmacvittie@nwc.com.