Now Vodafone links with Oracle

Who's next on mobile operator's alliance shopping list?

Oracle is to simplify user access to corporate systems via mobile phones and other wireless devices, following a tie-up with Vodafone.

The two firms are set to bundle a preconfigured application program interface into Oracle's Application Server, which will enable users to access Vodafone's Network Services. This will allow businesses to embed text messaging into applications such as Oracle's E-Business Suite and Collaboration Suite.

Utility company Scottish Water intends to connect call centres directly to field engineers using modules from Oracle's business software, to provide on-the-spot scheduling of calls. The offering is expected to be generally available next month.

Although a facility for sending text messages to field operatives is nothing new, linking it into business systems such as calendars and scheduling applications has been prohibitively expensive to date, said Jacob Christfort, chief technology officer of Oracle's Mobile Products division.

"Until this announcement, users would have had to build an SMS gateway. Many businesses didn't do it as the cost was too high," he said.

Peter Bamford, group marketing officer at Vodafone, said: "Mobile workforces equipped with real-time access to relevant company information can do their jobs more efficiently and effectively."

At the OracleWorld conference in Paris, the database giant also announced a licensing deal with Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

The companies will integrate Oracle's 10g Application Server with Fujitsu's openSEAS software for customers to access the latter's mainframes.