Spotting successful business opportunities is the ultimate challenge for business people. DataMirror / PointBase seems to have been rather skilled at this. PointBase is a division of DataMirror. DataMirror has a database background, but recognized that the enterprise database market was already mature. So they looked to the potential of Java and the growing mobile space. In 2001, they created BPointbase Micro, a database product which sits on mobile devices and enables developers to create enterprise applications that maximize the functionality of mobile devices. PointBase Micro and PointBase UniSync are the two recent bi-directional database synchronization products that have been ported (announced at JavaOne 2004) to the Sony Ericsson P900.

DataMirror enables Java developers to use SQL database access and data synchronization techniques within their applications that run on any Java-enabled platform, extending enterprise applications to the field. DataMirror's PointBase Micro uses a subset of JDBC to connect with enterprise databases and is specifically designed for the new generation of Java database applications for PDAs and smartphone devices, including the Sony Ericsson P900. PointBase UniSync provides seamless, bi-directional data synchronization between Java-enabled devices and complex heterogeneous enterprise data on backend systems.

Steve Jones, Managing Director of DataMirror / PointBase, shared some of his experiences from working with Sony Ericsson and developing the database access and synchronization solution. When asked about the choice of device, Steve Jones commented, "We are pushing the boundaries of the mobile market to enable enterprise data and applications to move down to handheld devices. The demand in terms of memory and storage capacity is immense, but with a platform such as the P900, which supports both MIDP 2.0 and PersonalJava, there were fewer restrictions on the programs and applications than we've seen on other devices. Before porting to new devices, our software is rigorously tested. The combination of the P900's inherent portability of Java capability and our stringent testing meant that the porting to the P900 was incredibly smooth. We didn't need to make any core changes to our product."

With such rigorous in-house testing, we asked why they would require the support of a developer program. "Easy," replied Jones, "Just like all developers, we need to get access to devices and we need to be able to understand the specifications of devices.  Our product provides a basic infrastructure on mobile devices for data management and simplifies the enterprise applications that use it. Common features like native JDBC and full SQL functionality make it easier for developers to create successful enterprise applications and consumers to use it. PointBase UniSync propagates changes made on the device back to the corporate database and, similarly, propagates the latest changes from the server to the device. When we understand the full technical product specifications, we can in turn make it easier for the developer to generate successful applications. As we see it, the membership in Sony Ericsson Developer World is really a partnership."

Successful businesses are dependent upon positive communication channels. People no longer call an office location, they call a person. Today, mobile devices are so powerful that we are, without a second thought, carrying around the processing power we had at our desks ten years ago. That is why Steve considers the mobile industry such an exciting proposition for DataMirror and their PointBase products: "There has been a whole paradigm shift in the mobile space and we are on the edge of this transition."

DataMirror's Enterprise Mobility Solutions are an example of partner solutions that enhance the use of the Sony Ericsson P900 smartphone as a corporate work tool.

For more information:

• PointBase mobile database solutions>>
• PointBase press release from JavaOne 2004>>