News
Mobile Information Server Final Piece of Enterprise 2000
- By Scott Bekker
- September 27, 2000
At the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s Enterprise Server 2000, the
company announced an addition to the .NET server family, the Microsoft Mobile
Information 2001 Server. Previously code-named Airstream, the Microsoft Mobile
Information Server is a scalable mobile applications server that will provide
enterprise customers and mobile network operators with a rich platform for
providing real-time mobile data services to any wireless device.
Mobile Information Server will be in limited trials in the
next 30 days and is expected to ship in the first half of 2001.
Microsoft president and CEO Steve Ballmer also announced
Microsoft Outlook Mobile Access, which will ship with Mobile Information
Server. Outlook Mobile Access is the initial application available for Mobile
Information Server and enables real-time access to Microsoft Exchange
Server-based personal information management applications, such as e-mail,
calendars, contacts, and tasks, all from a mobile phone.
Mobile Information Server is a core component of Microsoft’s
overall mobility strategy. In addition to providing mobile users with their
inbox, calendar, contacts, and tasks via Outlook Mobile Access, Mobile
Information Server will enable users to wirelessly access and interact with
enterprise applications as well as other corporate intranet resources such as
Windows 2000 Server Web-based applications or solutions built with Microsoft
SQL Server. In addition, Mobile Information Server will provide a platform for
future mobile applications, such as speech access or wireless instant
messaging, and can be extended to support new types of devices.
Also announced was Outlook Mobile Manager, a desktop application
that extends Outlook rules and gives users greater control of their
communications. – Isaac Slepner
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.