Oracle has released new 10g database software to
extend grid computing to corporate workers on the go.
Database Lite 10g allows employees to tap into the master 10g database
through mobile devices, such as PDAs, laptops and
handheld computers.
Jacob Christfort, vice president of server technologies and CTO for mobility
at Oracle, said Lite has been quietly used in standalone form by customers
for years. Database Lite 10g is a coming out party of sorts, because it
represents the first time Lite has been tightly integrated with the core
database server.
“With grid computing it starts becoming more interesting because now what we
can do with Oracle Lite is we can distribute parts of the data and
application to a mobile device and make it appear as part of one computer on
one network,” Christfort said.
The software comes at a time when remote workers are increasingly relying on
computer gadgets to access corporate information. One of the persistent
bugbears, however, has been frequent disconnect of the software
synchronization between the device and the back-end system.
This could translate to a huge problem when thousands of workers are trying
to use applications powered by one system on the backend. To make the
centralized server work, users need a central database extension, or
“satellite,” dedicated to one system.
That is what the Redwood Shores, Calif., company is offering, Christfort
said. Moreover, Database Lite 10g also works in areas where network coverage
is barely tenable because it uses a synchronization server that works on the
front end and back end. This allows mobile users to synchronize data between
their corporate database and mobile device.
Oracle rivals IBM and Sybase offer similar solutions — DB2 Anywhere and SQL
Anywhere, respectively. But Christfort said Lite will only support Oracle
databases while the others will let their mobile databases connect to just
about any other database.
Christfort said this differentiation is the result of an inflection point in
the industry: Customers who used to use disparate mobile databases and hire
consultants to make them work are looking to key in on one vendor, he said.
“We don’t think people will want to buy separate systems and have the
integration hassle,” Christfort said. “We believe people will just want to
buy an Oracle database system and have that data move seamlessly between
devices and applications. We believe the [Lite] mobile database will
follow … [its elder database]”
Database Lite 10g is available on all major operating systems, including
Linux, Unix and Windows, and is available now for $100 per named user
license.
The Lite Side of Oracle 10g
