Making the Right Technology Choices Today for a Mobile Future

Making the Right TechnologyChoices Today for a Mobile Future

F O U R T H Q U A R T E R 2 0 0 1

1R I G H T T E C H N O L O G Y C H O I C E S F O U R T H Q U A R T E R 2 0 0 1 C Y S I V E , I N C

Why Mobile, Why Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

The Benefits of Mobilizing Your Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Increase Employee Productivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Improve Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Build Market Share and Customer Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

What Are Your Enterprise Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Multi-channel Approaches to Avoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Stovepiping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Transcoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

The Integrated Approach: Your Best Choice for Multi-channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

How Cysive Cymbio™ Helps You Meet Your Multi-channel Challenge . . . . . . . . . .17

Benefits of Using Cysive Cymbio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Leverage Your Investment Over Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Realize New Enterprise Efficiencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Maximize Multi-channel Business Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Making the Right Technology Choices Today for a Mobile Future

As fast as the Internet wave swept over businesses,the move to mobile technologies has the potentialto overtake it. The adoption of mobile devices has outpaced that of other

technologies, including radio, TV, PCs, and the Internet. Already mobile phone usage

surpasses PC ownership. By 2003, leading industry analyst, the Gartner Group, esti-

mates that there will be one billion mobile phone users, positioning the mobile phone

to become the “de-facto standard consumer e-commerce device.” Other mobile

technology usage is also growing. Research company, IDC, predicts 63.4 million hand-

held units will be sold by 2004, up from 12.9 million units in 2000. And analyst firm, the

Aberdeen Group, predicts there will be 74 million wireless web users by 2004.

It’s business, however, where mobile is breaking fastest.

Mobile technology is already hard at work in US businesses today, with the Gartner

Group estimating 60 million mobile workers nationwide. The analyst group further

projects that by 2004, almost 800 million users worldwide will be accessing data wire-

lessly. Consequently, employers can expect more and more employees to regularly

use mobile devices in the course of their jobs. Gartner cautions that enterprises that

fail to prepare to support their mobile workers’ needs could realize a loss in produc-

tivity of at least 20 percent as compared to organizations that have deployed mobile

solutions. Conversely, it estimates that wireless technology can increase the productiv-

ity of mobile workers by 30 percent.


By 2003, the mobile phone will become the “de-facto standard consumer e-commerce device.”

–The Gartner Group

Where are most of mobile workers found? According to a recent Yankee Group sur-

vey, big companies have the largest percentage of mobile workers. Which is probably

why half of Fortune 1000 companies are committing 15% of their network service

spending to wireless. This reflects companies’ eagerness to realize the enormous cost

savings and efficiencies only possible through mobile computing. Further, it under-

scores the understanding that forward-thinking business executives have of mobile’s

first “killer app”: the ability to extend legacy applications across multiple access chan-

nels with only an incremental investment.


Why Mobile, Why Now?Taking a wait-and-see approach to mobile enabling your enterprise is as riskyas plunging in without understanding the business benefits and technologicalchallenges involved. Experts advise businesses to begin laying the properinfrastructure now to enable them to strategically roll out mobile solutions astelecommunications standards, devices and mobile technologies stabilize. Thisrecommendation was echoed in a recent InformationWeek article by JudithHurwitz, chairman and founder of technology research firm, Hurwitz Group,who urged companies to “…use this period to dramatically change yourtechnology infrastructure and to plan for the future.”

In this white paper, we’ll discuss the ways you can employ multi-channel access—Web, wireless and/or voice—to improve existing business processesand realize greater employee productivity while readying your enterprise for emerging technologies. We’ll outline the technology challenges that yourmulti-channel solution should address, including common mistakes and bestpractices in multi-channel enabling your enterprise. And we’ll review CysiveCymbio™, Cysive’s multi-channel enterprise platform, which provides a flexible,integrated solution for strategically deploying Web, wireless and voice acrossyour enterprise.

The Benefits of Mobilizing Your EnterpriseIf the Internet made 24x7 availability a reality, adding wireless and voice channelsprovides the next logical extension. It frees your customers, employees and tradingpartners from the constraints of doing business with you within the confines of their homes or offices. The logic of mobilizing its constituency is not lost on largeorganizations, many of which were slow to embrace the Internet. They realize theimmense cost efficiencies to be gained from the smarter deployment of their staffand information resources as well as “anytime, anyplace” visibility across their business processes. Additionally, the ability to deliver customer service and enabletransactions literally at their clients’ fingertips provides a true differentiator inincreasingly crowded and confusing markets.


Among the benefits companies can realize from enabling multi-channel access are:

n Greater worker productivity across the enterprise

n More accurate, faster and less costly transaction processing

n Elimination of manual processes and redundant data entry

n Increased manufacturing, supply chain, and distribution efficiencies

n Better customer service and satisfaction

n Improved competitive position

n Increased sales opportunities

How serious are businesses about mobilizing their workforces? Forty percent ofFortune 2,500 businesses in the US have or are equipping their employees withwireless devices, according to a recent Forrester Research survey. Another 30%said they were considering rolling out wireless systems.

H O W B U S I N E S S E S A R E U S I N G M U L T I - C H A N N E L C O M P U T I N G

Constituent Group Basic Services / Information Needed on the Move

Prospects Product / Service InformationPromotions / CouponingPress Releases

Customers Ordering / Payments / Confirmations / ReceiptsShipment Status

Employees E-mailCalendaring / SchedulingProspect / Customer Information Field Servicing / SupportHR Related Info

Business Partners Place / Accept OrdersShipment StatusPayment Status

Stockholders Stock Prices

Recruits Job Openings

Retirees Company NewsRetirement Account Access

Source: The Mobile Constituent


Why? Integrating Web and mobile technologies introduces immediate efficien-cies and cost savings across the entire enterprise while dramatically improvingthe company’s competitive position. As the costs associated with networksupport and maintenance decrease, the savings realized from streamlinedtransactions, better customer service and improved business processes climb.There is less demand on company IT technicians to maintain computerresources. Even downtime for office moves is reduced, since employees canplug in and start working right away.

Here are some of the ways you can put multi-channel solutions to work for you:

Increase Employee ProductivityIn Information Week Research’s recent “Improving Business Processes” survey,89% of the IT and business managers surveyed said that automating businessprocesses reduced costs and 84% said it improved customer loyalty andemployee productivity. Adding multi-channel capabilities further enhancesautomation, enabling you to put the right information in the right employee’shand right away—and in real time.

Mobile technology works for all types of day-to-day business operations appli-cations: e-mail, scheduling, time and expense reporting, purchasing, and more.It also works for all levels of employees, from field employees handling salesand service calls to the CEO accessing key business metrics. In addition, youcan use your enterprise’s multi-channel capabilities to improve communicationswith your trading partners and introduce greater efficiencies throughout yoursupply chain (by as much as 10 percent, according to the Gartner Group) as well as your manufacturing and transportation processes.


Wireless technology can increase the productivity of mobileworkers by 30 percent


S A M P L E U S E R S C E N A R I O : T R A N S P O R T A T I O N A N D L O G I S T I C S

Mobile devices are a perfect fit for all types of logistics activities, like inventory management and

shipping. Using a wireless PDA, for example, your shipping clerks can check orders against inventory

levels in order to coordinate outgoing shipments right from the warehouse floor and loading dock.

This provides them with real-time access to the information they need at exactly the time and place

they need it:

n Customer order information (e.g., what was ordered and when, etc.)

n Shipping information (e.g., where should the order be shipped, what type of delivery

was requested, etc.)

n Inventory information (e.g., are the items in stock, where are the items located in the

warehouse, etc.)

n Billing information (e.g., is the order prepaid or should an invoice be enclosed with the order, etc.)

Using handheld devices, your warehouse staff can read barcodes or radio frequency identification

(RFID) tags attached to inventory items, allowing each item to be tracked anywhere in the

warehouse, no matter how large it is. Order fulfillment becomes more accurate as fewer items are

misplaced. Delivery delays and shipment errors are reduced. The time it takes to receive, stock,

inventory, and ship items is cut.

On the road, your drivers can use a wireless-enabled cell phone to keep in constant contact with the

dispatcher. Changes to each driver’s schedule and route can be made dynamically. Alerts can be sent

to the customer, using the device they prefer (e.g., cell phone or pager), updating them on the

delivery time. Customers can be asked to confirm that someone will be available to accept

the delivery. If the customer declines the delivery, the driver is immediately notified so that the

customer can be skipped, avoiding a wasted stop and keeping the rest of the deliveries on schedule.

Improve Customer ServiceEnhancing customer service is one of the best ways to put multi-channel to work for you right away. You can make anyplace, anytime service a reality through, for example, voice portals that enable 24x7 phone access to e-mail and Webinformation. According to the Software Support Professional Association, call center service requests cost an average of $53 per call vs. $3 per message for e-mail. Since more people use phones than the Web, this could result in a significant cost savings for you over time, more than paying for your multi-channel investment.


In the field, your customers will appreciate on-the-spot, up-to-date informationand support from your sales representatives and service technicians. You canalso use functions, like alerts, to push personalized information, such as serviceupdates, to your customer. The payoff for you is faster problem resolution,improved customer loyalty and satisfaction, reduced call center traffic and costs,and better word-of-mouth to prospective customers.

S A M P L E U S E R S C E N A R I O : S E R V I C E C A L L S

It’s widely acknowledged that retaining a customer is substantially less expensive than acquiring

one. Mobile-enabling your field service technicians can help improve your customer service,

resulting in more lucrative and longer-lasting customer relationships. Your technicians have direct

access in the field to a client’s service record, including what type of maintenance has been

previously performed, which parts have been replaced, and what services/parts are under

contract. If necessary, they can also pull up manuals, rather than reschedule the service or make

an extra trip back to the office to get the information they need.

Work orders can be completed via the mobile device, including the ability to capture a customer’s

signature digitally in order to close the service request. Parts can also be ordered on-site, with the

technician providing the customer with the price so that the order can be approved and a

follow-up service call scheduled immediately. All information can be input offline, if a connection

is unavailable, then synchronized online and the information from the technician’s handheld

device automatically uploaded to your company’s central database.

Using mobile devices makes it easier for technicians and dispatchers to stay in touch, instantly

exchanging service schedule and route updates, and, in turn, sending service update alerts to

customers. Technicians can instantly accept or decline assignments according to how their current

service calls are going. This provides the dispatcher with the up-to-date information needed to

re-assign service calls. Field service calls become more productive and scheduling more accurate.

Both your customers and your field staff will appreciate the new service efficiencies.

Build Market Share and Customer ValueMobile access provides your customers with an unprecedented ability totransact business with your company at any place or time, whenever the movestrikes them. No need to wait until they’re in front of a PC, mobile accessenables them to carry your business with them at all times—in their hand, in their pocket, in their briefcase.


As m-Commerce becomes more commonplace, it’s a convenience your cus-tomers will demand. And it could come sooner than you think. Mobile phonemanufacturer, Nokia, recently commissioned a study of consumer attitudestoward m-Commerce. Eleven thousand people were surveyed across six coun-tries, including the US. Most indicated that they would prefer to make purchasesvia a mobile phone than the Internet, with 90% of those respondents willing topay extra for the convenience of m-Commerce. As new mobile capabilitiesemerge, like location-based content, you’ll also be positioned to merge themwith your m-Commerce channels and quickly roll them out to your client base.

In addition, you can equip your sale representatives with mobile devices to help them provide immediate answers, transaction capabilities, and better information to clients during sales calls. A timesaving advantage that can help you realize greater returns from existing client relationships.

S A M P L E U S E R S C E N A R I O : F I E L D S A L E S

No one is likely to appreciate the real-time information capabilities of mobile technology as much

as your field sales staff. Before calling on a client, a sales person can check on outstanding orders,

allowing them to be fully prepared and up-to-date on the client’s account—including any delays

or problems—prior to the meeting. The sales rep can also submit or change an order or make an

inquiry in real-time at the client’s site. If the customer wishes to place an order, the rep can pull

up complete product specifications, including price and inventory availability, and share them with

the customer.

Requests for quotes can be completed and submitted remotely, saving time and helping to close

sales onsite. In between calls, the rep can record results of the last meeting and prepare for

the next one. Reps can be instantly notified as issues with individual client accounts arise, like a

service or delivery problem, or if a hot new lead has been assigned to them. Immediate access

to real-time information will help sales reps make client meetings more productive for both your

company and your customers. If online access is not available, the rep can work offline and

synchronize the mobile device to your company’s network via the Internet later.

By mobile enabling your field sale staff, your company will benefit from improved customer

satisfaction, greater opportunities to boost sales, and shorter sales cycles. Being able to stay

connected on the road will also allow your reps to schedule their time more efficiently and

effectively, keeping them proactive and responsive.


What Are Your Enterprise Challenges?Most companies struggling with how and when to make the move to multi-channelare facing one of these three scenarios:

Building a New Application: As employee and consumer demand for mobileaccess grows, companies are challenged with building new, mobile-enabledapplications. Building multi-channel applications from scratch can be risky,requiring extensive skill sets and expertise your IT department may not yet have. It can also be costly, forcing you to incur the burden of implementing and maintaining seamless data, functionality and display across each channeland device deployment.

Web-Enabling Third-Party Applications: In the 90s, many corporations investedheavily in major enterprise systems, like customer relationship management (CRM),sales force automation (SFA), and supply chain management (SCM) applications.According to Cutter Research Business Technology Trends Group, 55% of largecompanies expect to wirelessly-enabled their CRM and SFA systems by 2003; 46% plan to wirelessly-enable their SCM system. If this includes your company,then you’re probably seeking to leverage your considerable investments in theseexpensive enterprise resources in an e-Business site and/or make them availableremotely to your mobile workforce.

Porting Proprietary Legacy Applications: Most large enterprise systems includeone or more legacy applications, which use proprietary code, tools and databasesand, often, were built by developers who are no longer with the company. Theselong-standing systems can be highly valuable corporate assets, providing an accurate reflection of current business practices that have evolved at the companyover time. The multi-channel challenge here is overcoming the technical anddesign limitations and engineering frailties of these older, homegrown systems.


By 2003, 55% of large companies expect to wirelessly-enabled their CRM and SFA tools; 46% plan to add wirelessaccess to their supply chain management systems.

–Cutter Research Business Technology Trends Group

It’s a challenge that most companies are likely to accept since the cost ofextending a legacy system for use in multi-channel environments is usually a fraction of the cost of replacing it.

One other struggle organizations face: how to ensure that their multi-channelenterprise investments can support future business initiatives, allowing them toeasily phase in new technologies, channels and devices. Industry experts referto this as “future proofing” the enterprise, which calls for the multi-channelsolution to provide:

n Support for multiple channels (Web, wireless, voice)

n Device independence (i.e., new devices can be added at any time)

n Connectivity for existing and emerging networks and protocols

n Scalability and extensibility to meet expanding requirements of large-scaleenterprises.

Multi-channel Approaches to Avoid In order to save time, companies often turn to stovepipe or transcodingsolutions to implement multi-channel access. These approaches can actuallyend up causing further development problems, or leave you with an incompleteor short-lived solution.

Here’s why you should avoid stovepiping and transcoding solutions.

StovepipingIf you’ve ever seen a wood-burning stove, you can visualize the problem inherent with building out an enterprise architecture by erecting stovepipes.Burning wood can erode metal and cause a stove’s pipes to leak, requiring frequent, makeshift repairs. This concept has become a metaphor for the ad hoc, patchwork approach that many organizations have taken to extendingtheir enterprise systems.

Stovepipes are separate applications that are built to provide specific newcapabilities, and are usually tied to particular vendors and devices. Typically,each stovepipe application has its own database and is designed to work


independently of other applications. Because stovepipe applications do notinteroperate with other applications or share common data resources, they canintroduce inconsistencies in the way your business rules operate and underminedata integrity across your enterprise. Companies often end up supporting separate architectures, technologies, and software codes for legacy systems,Web applications, and other channels. This is counter to the primary objectiveof multi-channel enabling any enterprise: providing integrated Web, wirelessand voice access across the entire business.

Stovepipe deployments also drive up cost, requiring greater and morespecialized IT staff and technology resources to support multiple architecturesand software code bases. You also risk becoming dependent on manufacturer-specific products or technologies that are no longer supported or weredeveloped by a vendor who is no longer in business.

TranscodingTranscoding software (commonly called “screen scrapers”) convert existing Web content, like HTML pages, to WML for use on WAP devices, like cellphones. This approach can work for simple content, like plain text. However, it isn’t viable for complex business applications. Small WAP devices simply cannot handle the display and functionality requirements of most website andWeb-based applications, which can include multiple data entry requirementsand rich graphics. Additionally, the navigational structure of a Web site is verydifferent than that of a voice-activated application.

Transcoding vendors claim it offers an automatic solution that doesn’t requirerewriting content or applications. However, content must be tailored for eachuser segment, device and channel. You must also rewrite Web applications thatuse technologies that do not work on mobile devices, like JavaScript. One


“Transcoding is potentially very wasteful of server resources…” and “…inherently fragile.”

–The Giga Group

leading analyst, Giga Group, calls transcoding “potentially very wasteful ofserver resources…” and “…inherently fragile,” echoing the opinions of manyother experts who view transcoding as inappropriate for all but the most basic business functions.

The Integrated Approach: Your Best Choice for Multi-channel Ironically, using mobile technology to make life simpler for your user base canmake things more complicated for you. As the range and number of mobiledevices continues to proliferate, so does the associated IT challenge. By 2004,for instance, the Gartner Group estimates that at least half of Fortune 2000companies will have to support three distinct wireless solutions: low speedwireless data, voice plus Web access, and high-speed wireless LAN access. Thatincludes each channel’s respective protocols, mark-up languages and devices.Not to mention current and future applications. And, just to keep thingsinteresting, emerging standards, such as 3G, and conflicting operating systems,like Palm OS and Windows CE.

Further, mobile consumers are among the most technologically sophisticatedand demanding. They expect a seamless experience from beginning to end,with information delivered right away. Unlike PCs, users can carry their mobilephones and PDAs with them wherever they go, making reliable access to yourcompany’s mobile systems critical. Unfortunately, connectivity is not guaranteed.Coverage is spotty or non-existent in many parts of the country. Additionally, the way information looks and the way users interact with wireless devices isvery different from the way they use PCs. Display screens are small, memory is limited, bandwidth requirements vary, and there are no keyboards. Applicationsand data have to adapt to each device, not the other way around.

The best multi-channel approach is an integrated solution; one built using openstandards, like Java and XML. Deploying an open standards-based system buildsflexibility, reliability, and peace of mind into your solution. It’s easier to hire devel-opers who understand the technology. There are many vendors, organizations and companies supporting and evolving the technologies. An integrated, open standards-based solution enables you to tie your corporate-wide systems and data together in real time and deploy them via multiple channels and devices.


D I V E R S I T Y O F M O B I L E C O M P U T I N G D E V I C E S A N D N E T W O R K S

Devices Network Protocols

PDA 802.11

PocketPC AMPS

RIM Pager (Blackberry) BlueTooth

Smart Phone CDMA

Two-Way Pager CDPD

Web-Enabled Phone GSM

Web Browser SMS

WAP Phone TDMA

Wireline Phone WAP

These are some of the handheld devices and network protocols that are now available.

Other technical issues you should consider when choosing a multi-channelplatform are:

Security: Security is the number one priority of most IT departments as theyconsider how to enable their enterprise for multi-channel access. Even if yourenterprise doesn’t currently support handheld devices, your employees areprobably already using your corporate information on their own equipment,especially PDAs. Palm estimates that 80 percent of its PDAs are synchronized to the user’s work computer. It’s far better for your business to implement theappropriate security controls now, then try to retrofit them later. Your solutionshould support the different security demands of each channel and device asapplications are deployed, helping you address issues such as: What needs to be secured and how? What information should be encrypted? What type of authentication should be implemented?

Device Independence: By 2002, Gartner Group predicts there will be at least 50 different types of mobile devices and 10 wireless network interfaces available. Which devices do you support today and how? How do you preparefor the onslaught of new devices and their respective technologies tomorrow?


Connectivity and Bandwidth: Mobile users can connect to a company’sapplications through a wide range of ways: wireless, wireline, dial-up, VPN, RAS.The numbers and types of networks, protocols and transmission speeds are alsowide ranging. How will you provide the appropriate content and presentationfor each device? How will you support disconnected users when coverage is

unavailable or they choose to work offline? Will your solution be able to takeadvantage of emerging, faster wireless standards?

Transaction and Session Management: The ideal multi-channel solution shouldfully embrace the concept of mobility, transporting a session from device todevice as the user moves about. An interaction can be started on one device,suspended then continued on another device. Can your solution maintainsession integrity across different devices and channels?

Technical Obsolescence: Nothing stands still in mobile. You can expect constantchanges in standards, protocols and devices. Can your multi-channel solutionkeep pace with ever-changing mobile technologies and emerging networks andprotocol standards?

Finally, as you consider your options for multi-channel enabling your enterprise,look for a modular solution that enables you to fully control the deployment ofeach channel and its technologies and devices according to your individualbusiness needs. This iterative approach lowers your business risk and cost whilelaying the foundation for future mobile requirements.


At least half of Fortune 2000 companies will have to support three distinct wireless solutions by 2004.


How Cysive Cymbio™ Helps You Meet Your Multi-channel Challenge Cysive’s multi-channel enterprise platform, Cysive Cymbio™, meets all of thesecriteria and more. It offers a comprehensive, integrated approach for enablingWeb, wireless and voice access across an enterprise. With Cysive Cymbio, you can easily meet all the challenges involved in making your organizationmulti-channel ready.

For more than eight years, Cysive has built mission-critical business systems for Global 2000 firms, including Cisco, AT&T, Chase, Equifax, First Union, andDaimlerChrysler. Cysive Cymbio represents the distillation of our expert-levelsystem development and implementation experience. All of the best-of-breedservices, technologies, design approaches and engineering processes that have helped us achieve our unmatched track record of over 100 successfulenterprise software deployments converge in Cysive Cymbio.

Based on open standards and widely accepted and supported technologies,Cysive Cymbio places your existing Web, enterprise, and legacy applicationsonto a single platform with the ability to add wireless and voice applicationsupport whenever you’re ready, without requiring extensive integration andcustom coding efforts. Presentation support is provided for multiple devices ontop of the same business logic, ensuring the channel and device the userchooses is correctly identified and the appropriate user interface transmitted.

Cysive Cymbio uses a single code base, providing easier maintenance, support,and a built-in migration path for adding features and technologies. Its integratedlightweight rules engine and workflow system enables you to visually modelbusiness rules and change business requirements without writing code or takingyour system down.

Cysive Cymbio’s three-tier architecture incorporates all the componentsrequired for developing multi-channel applications to operate across multiplechannels, reducing your development time and costs and accelerating delivery.You can mix and match any or all of Cysive Cymbio’s components, or substituteyour own solutions. Its enterprise integration capabilities provide seamless


integration of your existing business applications, including ERP, financials, and legacy systems. Additionally, Cysive’s experience in building some of the world’s most profitable and highly trafficked systems ensures that Cysive Cymbiocan meet the scalability and performance requirements of your large-scaleenterprise system.

Cysive Cymbio is designed to run on and leverage the features of your existingapplication server, or work with just a web server and servlet engine—whicheveryou prefer. It is fully compatible with leading application J2EE servers, includingBEA Weblogic and IBM WebSphere, allowing you to extend your applicationserver investment to include multi-channel access. You can also choose todeploy it without an application server at all, using any servlet/JSP environment.


T H E C Y S I V E C Y M B I O™ M U L T I - C H A N N E L E N T E R P R I S E P L A T F O R M

Cysive Cymbio™ provides a single solution for building and integrating Web, wireless and voice applications across your enterprise—all at once or whenever you’re ready to deploy them.

With Cysive Cymbio, you can easily meet the technical challenges involved inmaking your enterprise multi-channel ready, including:

Security: Cysive Cymbio’s security component is based on Sun’s emerging JAAS (Java Authentication and Authorization Service) standard. Single sign-on is supported, freeing your users from having to keep track of multiple passwordsfor different applications. Extensible user profile management capabilities enableyou to authenticate users and assign rules-based access to specific applicationsand functions. Cysive Cymbio encapsulates existing security stores, an separatesauthorization and ACL to allow native services to be used interchangeably. In addition, it provides digital certificate-based authentication and action-levelaccess control as well as support for digital signatures from web browsers and PDAs.

Device Independence: No matter how a user chooses to access your enterprise,Cysive Cymbio automatically recognizes the device and channel being used,including web browsers, PDAs, cell phones, and voice. It also detects key deviceattributes, like number of display lines, characters per line and bandwidth, whichcan vary widely across different platforms and devices. This information is usedto render content in the way best suited to the requesting device. For example,rich graphics and complex tables and forms for a web browser or a few lines of text for a cell phone.

Connectivity & Bandwidth: Connectivity can fluctuate greatly across the country,across networks and across devices. Cysive Cymbio’s two-way synchronizationenables you to support your mobile users even when they don’t have aconnection. Users can save information to a PDA, disconnect and work offline,then synchronize with your application servers via their device cradle, the Web,or wireless networks. Both major PDA platforms are supported, Palm OS andWindows CE. Cysive Cymbio also accommodates the bandwidth restrictions of the requesting device, automatically rendering content in the way best suitedto the device and channel.

Transaction & Session Management: Cysive Cymbio’s unique universal sessionmanagement capability, called “FollowMe,” allows your users to transfer a session from one device to another. All session information is retained, enabling


users to pick up exactly where they left off. For example, a customer can start an order on a PDA, synchronize and add details on the Web, and approve andsubmit the order using a mobile phone.

Technical Obsolescence: Flexible and highly scalable, Cysive Cymbio’s architec-ture uses widely supported technologies and open standards, including Javaand J2EE, to ensure seamless interoperability between any channel, databaseand application in your system. This frees you from dependence on proprietarytechnologies or specific devices and manufacturers. New device and channeldefinitions—even voice—can be added at any time while your system is running. Additionally, through Cysive Cymbio, you can leverage Cysive’s long-standing commitment to using state-of-the-art technologies and partnering with best-of-breed technology providers, helping you to stay current with important technical advancements.


T H E C Y S I V E C Y M B I O™ T H R E E - T I E R A R C H I T E C T U R E

All components required for developing applications that operate across multiple channels are included. You can mix and match CysiveCymbio components, or substitute your own solutions.


C Y S I V E C Y M B I O™ M U L T I - C H A N N E L E N T E R P R I S E P L A T F O R M C O M P O N E N T S

Presentation Tier

n Request Handling: Manages and delegates requests in a web application via an MVC-based

framework. Supports JSP, servlets, XML/XSL, XHTML, and ASP.

n Device and Channel Detection: Identifies and manages interaction across multiple channels,

including web browsers, PDAs, cell phones, and voice.

n Content Rendering: Configures content for optimal display in different devices based on XML

configuration files. Multiple channels can be used during the same session.

n Form Validation: Performs automated device-independent validation of inputs based on XML

descriptions, which are extensible to new input types.

n Internationalization: Supports locale-based view components and form validation.

n Universal Session Manager ("Follow-Me" Sessions): Enables a session to be started on one

device/channel and continued on another.

n Support for Disconnected Clients: Provides two-way synchronization for offline PDA users.

Business Process and Logic Tier

n Rules Engine and Editor: Allows you to define business rules and integrate them with your

application (or even change them in a running application) without modifying code.

n Workflow Engine and Editor: Enables you to create business process models and manage

model workflow that is integrated with your application. A workflow model can be changed in a

running application without modifying code.

n Alerts and Notification: Provides asynchronous messaging through a variety of channels,

according to user preferences.

n Security: Provides user profile management and supports single sign-on, digital certificate-

based authentication, and action-level access control. Based on the emerging JAAS standard.

n Task Scheduling: Provides applications with the ability to schedule tasks for future execution

according to customizable and extensible schedules.

Enterprise Integration

n Integrator: Facilitates the automation of business processes across heterogeneous software

systems using an event-based, publish/subscribe architecture.

n Connectors: Enables multiple ways to integrate enterprise systems, including connectors for

many popular technologies and third-party applications.

E

Benefits of Using Cysive CymbioNow is the perfect time to thoughtfully ready your enterprise for the next generation of mobile technologies, positioning your firm to better compete in both the short- and long-term. With Cysive Cymbio, you can meet theinevitability of multi-channel on your own terms, at your own pace.

Leverage Your Investment Over TimeMulti-channel enabling your enterprise through Cysive Cymbio today is an investment that will continue to pay off for years to come. Cysive Cymbio enables you to make your existing enterprise systems, including legacy and third-party applications, available via the Web, wireless and/or voice. It also extends your investment in your application server, allowing you to utilize it across multiple channels. Cysive Cymbio’s open standards-based architecture ensures that you can easily introduce new channels, devices and technology standards at any time. Additionally, its scalable, extensible framework can be easily expanded and adapted as your businessgrows and changes.

Realize New Enterprise EfficienciesWith Cysive Cymbio, you can realize immediate productivity gains and operational efficiencies by mobile-enabling workers (e.g., field sales and servicestaff), business processes (e.g., transportation and logistics), and administrativetools (e.g., time and expense reporting). Business logic and rules are separatefrom presentation, allowing information to be shared uniformly across multipledevices. This “write once, deploy anywhere” approach makes maintaining yourmulti-channel enterprise simpler and more cost effective. Devices and channelscan be added and business rules and workflow processes can be changed and tested dynamically without writing code, freeing your IT staff from time-consuming and elaborate programming tasks. Through its universal sessionmanagement capabilities, Cysive Cymbio also allows you to maintain sessionintegrity across multiple devices and channels as well as support offline users via two-way synchronization.


Maximize Multi-channel Business OpportunitiesSooner or later, your company will need to support multi-channel, many of yourcompetitors could already have mobile strategies in the works. For instance, bythe end of 2001, according to a recent IDC survey, more than 25 percent of theUS companies that have a Web site plan to offer mobile access. Cysive Cymbiogives you the capability to use any or all multiple channels—Web, wireless,

voice—right now or to connect to them later. Not only will you be fully preparedfor the inevitability of multi-channel, you can more easily and strategically controlits deployment across your enterprise. This is a far better business scenario thanrushing implementation in the face of consumer demand and competitivepressures. Short-term, you begin realizing greater employee productivity andcost savings by mobilizing routine work tasks: accessing e-mail and customerdata, updating delivery and service routes, tracking inventory, obtaining pricinginformation, etc. Long-term, you can position your enterprise to more quicklytake advantage of emerging mobile technologies (e.g., speech-to-text softwareand location-based content) and provide better service and m-Commercecapabilities to your customers.

ConclusionMobile is rapidly going mainstream, making it a trend that businesses cannotafford to ignore. New telecommunications standards will soon yield greaterbandwidth and faster transmission speeds. Wireless-enabled phones and handheld devices are becoming more popular, functional, and less expensive.Usage and adoption rates for mobile devices are speeding past those of other consumer technologies. Consumer demand for the convenience of m-Commerce and other mobile-based services is also growing.


By the end of 2001, according to a recent IDC survey, morethan 25 percent of the US companies which have a Web siteplan to offer mobile access.

For businesses, the convergence of Internet and mobile technologies providesmultiple access channels—Web, wireless, voice—they can use to deploy theirvarious business applications. Multi-channel enabling your enterprise makes itpossible to deliver real-time information at the right time, in the right place, tothe right person. Applications can be written once and deployed to any channelor device across your enterprise. Content and presentation are renderedappropriately for each channel and device. Existing legacy and third-partysystems can be extended for use with Web and mobile devices.

Cysive Cymbio, Cysive’s new multi-channel enterprise platform, enables you toreliably integrate and deliver your enterprise applications and data via the Web,wireless and/or voice channels. You’ll realize greater employee productivity andoperational efficiencies as well as improved customer service immediately bydelivering real-time remote access to your mobile workers. As m-Commercebecomes more commonplace, you can add wireless and voice to your existingcustomer transaction channels, quickly evolving your enterprise to the next level of business.


About Cysive™Cysive, Inc., builds custom Web, wireless and voice-activated software solutions for Global 2000 and high-growthcompanies. Cysive is a leading provider of highly scalable, flexible software systems that transform businesses frommarket performers to market leaders. Cysive’s software engineers have developed a range of software solutions forcustomers including Cisco Systems, AT&T, Chase, Equifax, First Union and DaimlerChrysler, among many others.Cysive is headquartered in Reston, Va. with additional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Irvine andMountain View, Calif. and New York. Cysive can be found on the Internet at www.cysive.com.

1.888.996.2582 | [email protected] | www.cysive.com

© 2001 Cysive, Inc. Cysive, Cysive Cymbio, Cymbio by Cysive, the Cysive logo and the Cysive Cymbio logo are trademarks of Cysive, Inc.

This white paper is for informational purposes only. CYSIVE MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT.Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners

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