Compaq Continues Wireless Enterprise Push

Stepping up its efforts to be a major player in the corporate wireless marketplace, Compaq Computer Corp.
this week announced its next-generation wireless infrastructure products.

The company said its Compaq Wireless Enterprise Framework includes a wireless application gateway and a development platform for integrating enterprise applications, the company said. In addition, the framework was designed to work with Compaq’s Global Services integration group.

The company, and its services group, is in pitched battle with IBM Corp.
in the area of enterprise integration. As part of its thrust, Compaq said it also was now offering a program in which companies can create pilot projects that integrate the wireless infrastructure, devices and consulting and support services.

The company claimed that its pilot approach could cost an enterprise less than $300,000 to implement and that the pilot could be up and running in less than four weeks. It claimed that was significantly cheaper and faster than similar pilots offered by other companies.

In a statement, the company said its newest thrust is to deliver applications such as supply chain management, enterprise database, sales force automation and field service automation.

Compaq’s iPAQ handhelds, which are based on Microsoft Corp.’s
Pocket PC 2002 platform, made significant inroads into the corporate marketplace in 2001, according to many market share studies. In addition, it recently announced that it was offering a variety of mobility solutions based on Microsoft’s Mobile Information Server 2002.

Separately, the Compaq announced that one core element of its framework was Shipcom Wireless Inc.’s Catamaran Multiple Application Connectivity wireless software.