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Tuesday June 28, 2005
Celcom leverages developers in battle with Maxis
By CHARLES F. MOREIRA
CELCOM (Malaysia) Bhd plans to roll out a software development kit later this year for developers to create mobile applications on Microsoft's Connected Services Framework (CSF) platform.
The kit will allow developers to access Celcom's backend billing system, short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) centres, as well as e-mail and location-based services systems.
The telco was among the first in the world to sign up for the platform when it announced its intention to use CSF at the GSM World Congress held in Cannes, France, in February.
Dr Mazlan Abbas, Celcom vice-president for integrated business solutions, said the company will also organise a CSF event for developers to showcase their applications and recruit new ones in the fourth quarter of this year.
The company's Developer Community Programme (DCP) proved to be a hit at the recent Microsoft Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference (MEDC) 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, with hundreds of applicants signing up. In.Tech is the official publication for MEDC 2005.
More than 240 “early bird” applicants from 157 companies signed up for the programme, according to Mazlan.
“We plan to invest RM20mil over the next two years on the programme,” he said.
The programme will provide developers with an environment to test pre-release versions of their applications, go to market together, and participate in roadshows, seminars and exhibitions, he said.
Celcom will also set up a developers portal early in the third quarter to provide developers with information on the development process, opportunities for discussion, and knowledge sharing.
DCP membership is free.
The Microsoft route
Celcom's latest developer-related efforts come on the back of its Cannes announcement.
“We decided to work with Microsoft mainly because it’s easy for them to customise and standardise applications on the Microsoft environment,” said Mazlan.
A new Microsoft .NET-based offering, CSF is an integrated solution providing telcos with a software-powered, cellular network infrastructure with common capabilities for connecting multiple data services across multiple networks.
Microsoft claims that the platform enables efficient and rapid creation and support of mobile devices, by employing standardised interfaces linking applications to wireless network elements using object-oriented and web technologies.
“The CSF platform will enable developers to create applications for us, initially on Windows Mobile-based PDAs (personal digital assistants), PDA-phones and smartphones,” said Mazlan.
The platform also enables access to devices running Symbian, Palm OS and other non-Microsoft operating systems, provided they have the proper utilities enabling access, he said.
“For example, we currently use Intellisync software (from Intellisync Corp) to do push and pull e-mail on Symbian devices,” said Mazlan.
Blackberry killer?
Celcom’s immediate priority is to compete head on with Research In Motion’s Blackberry push-e-mail service offered by archrival Maxis Communications Bhd, according to Mazlan.
The company is prioritising development on Microsoft platforms by leveraging on around 10,000 local Microsoft developers to help develop applications for the Microsoft Windows Mobile-based devices used in its Email and Beyond enterprise application.
The application was launched last December in a direct challenge to Maxis' Blackberry service. There are currently about 40 different makes of general-purpose handheld devices running Windows Mobile, with Celcom banking on this diversity in its battle with Maxis' offering.
Email and Beyond works on Microsoft Exchange's ActiveSync feature, which enables mobile devices to automatically synchronise e-mail, contacts and calendar information with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 over cellular networks or from WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) hotspots.
The Windows Mobile operating system supports POP (Post Office Protocol), IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), WAP (Wireless Application protocol) and web e-mail. There are currently more than 130 companies that use Email and Beyond for a variety of purposes, including accessing stock market information, sales force automation, and mobile banking, said Mazlan.
Customers include Tenaga Nasional, TM Bhd, DHL, Dell Computers, Guthrie, and the Federal Land Development Authority.
“We believe that the corporate sector will naturally be the early adopters of services like Email and Beyond, since they help enhance operational efficiency and staff productivity,” said Mazlan.
Copyright © 1995-2005 Star Publications (M) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
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