Building flexible mobile applications for next generation enterprises

In order to understand and gain practical insights into various aspects of next-generation enterprises (NGEs), we are building a testbed for flexible mobile applications. We started with a generic architecture and used it to build different applications in different domains. Our testbed consists of a multi-tiered architecture incorporating various user interfaces and access technologies, middleware components, enterprise integration systems, supply chain management and a host of currently emerging technologies. The first application we have developed is an information application for the Olympic Games to provide personalized information for mobile users through a variety of end-user devices. The second experiment is a typical e-commerce online purchasing application that uses mobile agents (brokers) to buy products from multiple suppliers based on user-specified criteria. The third example demonstrates a typical workflow scenario that may be needed in a highly collaborative and reliable NGE environment. In this paper, we present our preliminary experiences in building these applications. Based on our experience, we are pursuing further research and evaluation of various technologies for flexibility, mobility, scalability and ease of integration.