News

Mobile Information Server Final Piece of Enterprise 2000

• By Scott Bekker
• 09/27/2000

At the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s Enterprise Server 2000, the company announced an addition to the .NET server family, the Microsoft Mobile Information 2001 Server. Previously code-named Airstream, the Microsoft Mobile Information Server is a scalable mobile applications server that will provide enterprise customers and mobile network operators with a rich platform for providing real-time mobile data services to any wireless device.

Mobile Information Server will be in limited trials in the next 30 days and is expected to ship in the first half of 2001.

Microsoft president and CEO Steve Ballmer also announced Microsoft Outlook Mobile Access, which will ship with Mobile Information Server. Outlook Mobile Access is the initial application available for Mobile Information Server and enables real-time access to Microsoft Exchange Server-based personal information management applications, such as e-mail, calendars, contacts, and tasks, all from a mobile phone.

Mobile Information Server is a core component of Microsoft’s overall mobility strategy. In addition to providing mobile users with their inbox, calendar, contacts, and tasks via Outlook Mobile Access, Mobile Information Server will enable users to wirelessly access and interact with enterprise applications as well as other corporate intranet resources such as Windows 2000 Server Web-based applications or solutions built with Microsoft SQL Server. In addition, Mobile Information Server will provide a platform for future mobile applications, such as speech access or wireless instant messaging, and can be extended to support new types of devices.

Also announced was Outlook Mobile Manager, a desktop application that extends Outlook rules and gives users greater control of their communications. – Isaac Slepner