Press Release
March 26, 2001
AvantGo Introduces AvantGo 4.0 - Pioneering Wireless Software, Applications and Services
AvantGo Strengthens Wireless Performance; Continues to Dominate Mobile Access to Business Data and Applications
San Mateo, CA - AvantGo, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO), the leading provider of mobile infrastructure software and services, today announced it has released pioneering wireless software, applications and services, which include significant wireless infrastructure enhancements to the company's core M-Business Server, its Mobile Engines for the Web, Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange, and its popular AvantGo mobile Internet service (see related announcement "AvantGo Adds New Wireless Features to Market-Leading Mobile Internet Service," March 26, 2001).
AvantGo 4.0 now supports all of today's wireless protocols, including GSM, GPRS, CDPD, CDMA, Mobitex and 802.11(b) wireless local area networks. In addition, AvantGo 4.0 is poised to support new technologies, including Bluetooth and 3G, as they become widely available. AvantGo 4.0 client software is integrated with, bundled with or offered from the websites of the most popular wireless and mobile devices and connectivity options on the market, including Microsoft, Palm, Sony, Casio, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Xircom, Handspring, Kyocera and Motorola. The company also recently announced agreements with Research In Motion (RIM) to deliver wireless Web-based data and corporate applications to RIM's BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds™, and with Symbian to bring web-based services, content and business applications to next-generation smartphones.
"Wireless connectivity is an important aspect of the Dynamic Mobility Model, which we subscribe to as a company. Unlike other products on the market today that rely solely on synchronization or solely on a persistent wireless connection, ours is the only solution that enables corporations to seamlessly transition applications between online, offline and push modes - wirelessly, through a desktop PC or over cellular and paging networks," said Richard Owen, AvantGo's CEO. "Customers, such as Ford Motor Company, Stanford Medical, Yahoo! and Northwest Airlines, have been quick to see the advantages of leveraging their development to deploy on a variety of platforms, over a variety of connectivity options. With the rapid introduction of new devices and services, businesses need the consistency and reliability of an infrastructure that can support access to their critical data and applications today and tomorrow."
AvantGo 4.0 M-Business Server Extneds Enterprise Applications to Wireless Devices
AvantGo 4.0 makes the most of existing network infrastructure, Internet standards and wireless devices so that businesses can deploy applications to their mobile workforces, partners and customers without writing specialized software for each device or connectivity alternative.
"Using AvantGo 4.0, we will be able to extend our existing Web-based applications to mobile device users around the world," said Craig Jester, Director of Core Technology at Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), a leader in health sciences publishing. "For us, it was critical to choose a solution like AvantGo that would enable us to support the wide variety of different devices, wireless services and connectivity options that customers use today, as well as be prepared for the devices and services, like Bluetooth and 3G, that are coming."
Specific enhancements to AvantGo 4.0 M-Business Server include:
Mobile Engine for the Web
- Thirty percent improved wireless performance to maximize performance and reliability over high-latency, low-bandwidth wireless data services, such as paging and cellular networks, resulting in an exceptional user experience.
- Self-registration and end-user account management, allowing IT managers to grant individuals permission to create new accounts and add or delete applications with a point-and-click browser-based interface. This feature is critically important in easing large-scale mobile commerce deployments to millions of individuals using a variety of mobile devices.
- Increased platform support, including the RIM BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds."
Mobile Engine for Lotus Notes
- Mobilizes Lotus Notes applications, including email, calendar, address book, to do lists and custom databases.
- Incorporation of sophisticated enterprise server features and improved remote access capabilities that give individuals with wireless devices in large corporations seamless access to distributed Lotus Notes servers throughout the corporation. For IT managers, the feature greatly reduces demands placed on IT staff for delivering higher levels of service to individuals.
- New remote access capabilities, including email with Microsoft Word attachments, so documents can be viewed directly from the wireless device.
Mobile Engine for Microsoft Exchange
- Mobilizes Microsoft Exchange, including email, calendar, contacts, tasks and memos.
- Provides seamless access between Web and Microsoft Exchange applications.
- Appropriate time zone support for remote users allows geographically distributed offices to select appropriate time zones for calendar data.
- Supports Microsoft Exchange 2000.
"Employees working remotely make up a sizeable part of our International workforce, so it is important that they are able to access the Notes-based information they need, when they need it, without delay. This can be as widespread as a satellite connection in India, a wireless connection in Congo, Africa, or plain old 56k connection in the US. With the Mobile Engine for Lotus Notes, we are able to deliver server-based applications directly to our users' devices," said Mark Calleran, International IT Manager for The Salvation Army. "With each release of the Mobile Engine for Lotus Notes, AvantGo continues to reduce the time and effort required by our IT staff, so we are better able to focus on our mission and reduce administration costs."
Software Foundation Brings Broadband Services to Today's Wireless Devices
For wireless operators, such as France Telecom, seeking to increase the value of their products and services, AvantGo 4.0 delivers immediate access to the corporate and personal information that is most valuable to mobile users, increasing customer loyalty and revenue per user, while minimizing actual bandwidth consumption.
"We are impressed by the products and services from AvantGo that ensure the wireless web is as rich, reliable and secure an experience as possible," said Jean-Philippe Pastor, CEO of France Telecom's PhoneRe@der initiative.
For independent software vendors and value added resellers, such as Onyx and Information Builders, AvantGo 4.0 is far easier to integrate than building the robust mobile and wireless capabilities themselves. Additionally, AvantGo 4.0 offers an open architecture for incorporating complementary tools and technologies, including Certicom's security offerings, to deliver broader capabilities to enterprises. This extensive framework provides a stable foundation on which to build mobile applications that can take best advantage of current and future standards, technologies, platforms and wireless services.
Availability
AvantGo 4.0 M-Business Server will be available on March 30, 2001 for Windows NT, Solaris and Linux.
About AvantGo
AvantGo, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO) is the leading provider of infrastructure software and services that power the mobile economy. AvantGo Enterprise software enables businesses to increase the value of their corporate information systems by extending existing enterprise applications and critical information to employees, customers and business partners. The company also provides the AvantGo mobile Internet service, a hosted network that enables hundreds of businesses to deliver their content and applications to more than two million mobile consumers. AvantGo is a pioneer in delivering real-world solutions for both wireless and off-line use. For more information, please visit www.avantgo.com.
Except for historical information, all of the expectations and assumptions contained in the foregoing are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the ability of Brokat to integrate, deploy and utilize the technology as anticipated and to obtain new content sources for use with the technology, possible delays in release of new products and services, customer demand for such products and services, the ability of the sales force to adequately market products containing the technology. For additional information regarding these and other risks associated with the company's business refer to the company's reports filed with the SEC.
AvantGo, AvantGo Enterprise and the AvantGo logo are registered trademarks of AvantGo, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
