Meeting the Demand for Mobile Enterprise Data
Today’s workforce demands that information be available wherever employees are working, not just at a desk. When field technicians, sales reps, or plant operators need real‑time access to data, a handheld device can make the difference between meeting a deadline and falling behind. Mobile enterprise applications provide that on‑the‑go connectivity, but building them from scratch is time‑consuming and costly. Companies that can port existing desktop or web applications to mobile form factors can avoid those pitfalls while extending the reach of their core systems. This shift has accelerated with the rise of the BlackBerry platform, known for its secure messaging and reliable battery life, making it a top choice for industries that require stringent data protection and continuous uptime. As organizations increasingly rely on mobile devices for critical tasks, the need for solutions that bridge desktop data with handheld access has become urgent.
Navara, a leader in mobile application integration, has launched two complementary products that bring enterprise data to BlackBerry users. The first, a WAP‑based interface, leverages the built‑in browser on the device, while the second uses a Java client written with the J2ME framework. Both solutions tap into the full capabilities of the Navara Mobility Suite, allowing businesses to move data from legacy systems or new web portals straight into the handheld. By focusing on the BlackBerry ecosystem, Navara addresses the specific constraints of the platform – such as limited screen space, storage, and intermittent connectivity – while preserving the integrity of mission‑critical information. The result is a set of tools that can be deployed quickly, without requiring a complete overhaul of existing applications.
Phil Regan, Navara’s chief executive officer, highlights the company’s mission: “We are committed to helping our customers increase productivity and improve service delivery by extending the reach of their enterprise applications to the mobile devices and networks that best meet their needs.” He added that the growing adoption of BlackBerry within enterprises prompted Navara to create solutions that quickly mobilize data from both legacy and newly developed web‑based applications. Regan believes that these tools will give businesses a competitive edge by adding workflow functionality directly to handhelds, enabling field teams to act on information in real time.
Navara’s participation in the BlackBerry ISV Alliance positions it at the heart of the platform’s growing developer community. Through this partnership, the company can offer thousands of organizations a way to expose enterprise data via multiple interfaces – ODBC, Remedy Action Request, XML, and HTTP adapters. Each adapter is designed to pull data from relational tables, XML documents, or simple flat files, and then push it back to the BlackBerry device when connectivity is available. This versatility ensures that whether an organization relies on SAP, Oracle, J.D. Edwards, or a custom in‑house system, its data can be made available to mobile workers without extensive rewrites. Navara’s mobility wizards further simplify the process, guiding users through configuration steps and customizing workflows without long‑term service engagements.
Choosing Between WAP and Java on BlackBerry
One of Navara’s strengths is the flexibility it offers in how data is accessed. Users can choose from an always‑on mode that requires continuous wireless connectivity, an offline mode that stores data locally and synchronizes later, or an intermittent mode that adapts to sporadic coverage. In practice, many organizations deploy a combination of these options within the same project to meet the varying needs of their teams. For instance, a sales force operating across wide geographic areas might use offline Java clients for remote locations, while warehouse staff in a campus‑wide environment rely on the always‑on WAP interface for instant updates. By providing this spectrum of connectivity models, Navara ensures that field workers never face a dead‑end when critical data is needed.
The WAP solution is straightforward to roll out because it uses the built‑in BlackBerry browser or the device’s WAP browser. When a user launches the application, the device connects directly to Navara’s server over Wi‑Fi or cellular data, retrieves the requested data, and renders it in a responsive form. This approach works best in environments with reliable coverage – such as urban centers, large campuses, or manufacturing plants with extensive internal Wi‑Fi. The downside is that users must have an active connection every time they access the application; however, in those high‑coverage scenarios, the trade‑off is minimal. For teams that need immediate, real‑time information, the WAP interface delivers it on demand without additional installation steps.
The Java solution takes a different path. It delivers a custom client written in Java for the J2ME platform, installed once on the BlackBerry device. The client can store and manipulate complex forms and records locally, even when the device is offline. When connectivity is restored – either via Wi‑Fi or a cellular network – the client synchronizes its changes back to Navara’s server. This model is ideal for users who travel to remote or rural areas where coverage is spotty or nonexistent. The Java client also allows for richer user interfaces, more sophisticated validation, and the ability to handle larger data sets without overloading the device’s limited resources. By offering this offline capability, Navara keeps workers productive no matter where they are.
Regardless of which front‑end a company chooses, both solutions tap into the full server infrastructure of the Navara Mobility Suite. The Design Center lets developers craft mobile forms that mirror desktop screens, while the Administration Environment provides granular control over user permissions, data flows, and security policies. Meanwhile, the suite’s adapters handle the heavy lifting of connecting to back‑end systems. Through a single, unified framework, organizations can build, deploy, and maintain mobile applications with a level of consistency that reduces maintenance costs and accelerates time to market.
Integrating Existing Systems with Navara Adapters
Navara’s adapters play a crucial role in extracting data from enterprise applications. The ODBC adapter pulls data directly from relational databases, the Remedy Action Request adapter interfaces with incident‑management platforms, the XML adapter maps structured documents, and the HTTP adapter handles RESTful services. These adapters can consume data from a wide array of systems – SAP, Oracle, J.D. Edwards, Sage, Exchequer, and many more – by mapping the applications’ APIs into a format that the mobile device can understand. By doing so, Navara removes the need for custom middleware or costly integration projects. The result is a plug‑and‑play model that preserves the integrity of mission‑critical data while making it accessible in the field.
Integrating with enterprise systems often requires handling authentication, session management, and data transformation. Navara’s adapters manage these concerns automatically. For instance, when a user requests a record, the adapter authenticates against the back‑end system, retrieves the data, and translates it into a JSON or XML payload that the Java or WAP client can render. This process occurs on the server side, so the handheld device only sees a streamlined, device‑friendly response. The adapters also support incremental updates, reducing bandwidth usage and ensuring that data remains current even in intermittent connectivity scenarios.
To speed deployment, Navara includes mobility wizards that guide administrators through the configuration of adapters, user roles, and data synchronization rules. The wizards reduce setup time from weeks to days, allowing businesses to launch mobile workflows quickly. Because the configuration is driven by visual steps, there is little need for deep technical knowledge. Organizations can customize forms, set validation rules, and define synchronization schedules with a few clicks. This level of ease is especially valuable for small to mid‑size enterprises that may not have a dedicated IT team but still require robust mobile data access.
Research In Motion, the maker of BlackBerry, praised Navara’s expansion into the platform. Vice President Mark Guibert said, “BlackBerry has become a widely deployed development platform for wireless enterprise applications. We are pleased that Navara has chosen to extend its Mobility Suite to the BlackBerry platform and help enterprise customers achieve an even greater return on investment from their wireless deployments.” This endorsement underscores the alignment between Navara’s mobile integration capabilities and BlackBerry’s secure, reliable environment, positioning both vendors as leaders in the mobile enterprise space.
