Application Gateways/Platform Providers

A plethora of disparate mobile devices, closed networks, language disconnects, differing protocols, and point solutions characterize today's wireless landscape.

Mobile application servers, mobility platforms, and mobile application gateways are comprehensive platforms that mask the complexity of the underlying technology and speed development of innovative solutions. These platforms can be further classified based on the customer base they target: carriers or enterprises.

• Carrier Class. With the convergence of voice and data networking technology, communication service providers (CSPs)-including wireless and wireline carriers, portals, and broadband providers-seek a standard platform capable of supporting a wide range of applications as well as the growing and changing demands of consumer and business subscribers. Carrier-class mobile platforms provide CSPs with complete communications, personal productivity, and commercial application solutions. Vendors such as Comverse, InfoSpace, and Openwave provide carrier-class platforms.
• Enterprise Class. Enterprise class mobile platforms provide enterprises with the opportunity to leverage their existing Web infrastructure investments. They enable companies to extend the reach of their Web-based content and applications to their mobile customers, employees, suppliers, and business affiliates. A growing number of vendors, such as 724 Solutions, Everypath, Brience, JP Mobile, and ViaFone, provide enterprise-class solutions to connect the company's internal business applications to the outside mobile world.