Comparing The Providers
We spoke with AOL, IBM, Microsoft, RIM and Sybase to find out what offerings they have today for those seeking mobile IM, and what's on their road maps. Our discussions revealed that business IM is on these providers' radar, but not all have decided what the future will look like. What is certain is that catering to business will mean channeling IM traffic through management gateways, within the enterprise or operated by third parties or the providers themselves. But for now, service providers like AOL can't deliver the level of security and management enterprises need for widespread mobile IM.
We do see glimmers, however. For example, AOL highlighted its AIM Pro client, which offers features such as encrypted communications and names based on a "[email protected]" format. The company also stressed its close affiliation with WebEx, which offers AIM Pro service extensions, including security and management, through a software-as-a-service business model. These services are now available to laptop users with wireless-data connections, but they're not offered for handhelds. We expect this to change as more enterprises start using mobile IM.
IBM, Microsoft On The Move
We were impressed by the degree of effort IBM has put into its Lotus Sametime Mobile client. Not only does the Sametime client communicate directly with a Sametime server using wireless IP services, it also operates on a wide range of devices, including Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Nokia Symbian E Series. Palm OS as used on Palm Treos (now called Garnet OS) is not supported.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
