March 13, 1997

SOLID Server FOR NOKIA 9000 COMMUNICATOR

Solid Information Technology Ltd presents an unprecedented model for extending mission-critical business systems to tiny handheld devices like the Nokia 9000 Communicator. As the first company worldwide, Solid introduces autonomous database services directly on the mobile device, with synchronization schemes for linking the mobile users to legacy systems.

This paper gives an overview of the CeBIT 1997 demonstration system.

Mobile-aware Mission Critical Applications

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The Solid Data Management Architecture enables mission-critical business solutions to be made increasingly mobile or mobile-aware. Mobile systems are needed by the increasing number of computer users that telecommute or spend time away from the office, and who cannot stay online at all times. These users need business applications that on the one hand are capable of running autonomously on a handheld device, and on the other hand can link into non-mobile legacy systems.

By basing their business systems on Solid's data management architecture, companies can stretch their computing systems into the tiniest handheld devices without losing the investments made in centralized and workgroup-based solutions. The typical user of such a system is an organisation with day-to-day operations that depend on human beings interacting with customers and partners on varying locations. These people need to be fully competent at all locations and all times to carry out tasks that make use of information systems.

Business Application

The business application on display at CeBIT exemplifies a simple sales system. The mobile professional is represented by the sales person who carries a Nokia 9000 Communicator with a custom-built sales application.

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The application uses data stored locally on the Communicator. In addition it can request information from a host database and send orders and other updates back to the host for intelligent merging with existing data.

For the manager of the group of mobile sales representatives, there is a web application that is browsable with the Communicator and with any web browser. Managers can browse through sales and other reports in realtime, without being tied to a specific device or the installation of a specific application on the device. With the advent of new light browsing functionality based on the short message service (SMS) of the GSM technology, the manager can access sales and inventory status information from any SMS-enabled mobile telephone.

Other Examples

The CeBIT demo system exemplifies an architecture that can be utilized in a wide variety of business and other applications, including:

Mobile point of sales systems
Mobile sales force automation systems
Mobile health care and veterinary systems
Mobile law enforcement systems
Mobile field service systems
Mobile financial and banking systems

These applications have a number of key requirements - secure transaction handling, near-to-realtime mode, no down-times - that can be met only by a robust database system.

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Business Application for the Nokia 9000 Communicator

The business application on the Nokia 9000 Communicator carries the logic and data that is needed by the mobile professional. Data is stored locally on the Communicator and synchronized with the host system.

In the CeBIT demo system, a sales person can retrieve product information, enter customer orders and update customer information.

SOLID Server for Nokia Communicator

The Solid software for the Communicator takes care of all local data management, including transaction handling. At intervals the data is synchronized with the data that resides on a fixed database. Synchronization can be initiated by the user or triggered by updates occuring in the master database.

SOLID Server, Hosting the Main Database and Web Application Logic

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A fixed SOLID Server database serves as the collection node for all mobile installations. This database publishes data selectively to mobile devices and accepts update requests from them. Add-on modules cater for replication with fixed legacy systems elsewhere in the organization. Data can also be published directly on the internet without the need for dedicated web servers.

In the CeBIT demo system, users of any browser can access the sales database over the internet and request the latest updates on sales and inventories. It is also possible to retrieve and update data and to manage the database using any supported SQL commands.

SOLID Server, SOLID Synchronizer and SOLID Intelligent Transaction are trademarks of Solid Information Technology Ltd. Other product and company names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.