Attachmate announced MobileNow, the company’s new mobile strategy that is intended to optimize the company’s line of enterprise software products so that mainframe and legacy applications can be extended to mobile devices. Attachmate MobileNow delivers corporate data while providing tools for encrypting data, controlling access and monitoring for fraudulent use.
The MobileNow approach does not require critical mainframe and legacy applications to be re-factored for mobile, resulting in quicker time-to-market and lower costs, according to Tom Bice, vice president of marketing and product management at Attachmate. With this approach, Attachmate supports connectivity between trusted platforms and new devices — iPads, Windows 8 tablets and Android tablets, as well as smartphones. Attachmate MobileNow provides a layer of user interactions and customization employing HTML5 and native technologies.
As part of this announcement, Attachmate also released a new version of Verastream Host Integrator, one of the products that will support the promise around MobileNow. The new version, combined with the previously-released Verastream Process Designer r5, provides access from most mobile devices and platforms to mainframe applications, the vendor says. Verastream is designed to streamline mainframe application access and help enterprises tackle the challenges associated with legacy application integration.
Verastream is a tool for service enablement of the back-end systems generically but recently the need to accommodate mobile device users has come to the fore, notes Ron Nunan, product marketing manager of Verastream. For example, he explains, there is a lot of interest from executives to let users, such as mobile sales force users, to hit back-end applications and get real-time information.” However, he adds, IT shops are struggling with providing mobile access to core enterprise applications that can’t be changed but are viewed as having the potential to be very useful to employees on their tablets and smartphones.
Key enhancements and features in Verastream 7.5 include embedded HTML5 support. As all application access and integration components are served to the mobile device, users experience virtually no negative impact, ensuring continued productivity. According to Attachmate, it is as simple as using a web page, but has the functionality of a native application.
In addition, theme support for tablets enables users to have a similar user interface and experience when accessing applications from their desktop or tablet, so there is a seamless transition between devices and no need to learn another user interface, increasing efficiency.
And finally, there is customizable “hotspots” which allow placement automation or execution of host activities (or keys) to show up as buttons or hyperlinks on the screen. This is a preferred method of control that allows mobile users control over host applications through simple touches and swipes.
Verastream is the first of a series of announcements that will come out under the MobileNow umbrella, says Bice.
For more information on Attachmate MobileNow, visit www.attachmate.com/solutions/mobilenow.
To evaluate Verastream, visit www.attachmate.com/Products/Host+Integration/vhi/vstream-host-integrator.htm.