Mercury offers wireless solutions

In order to help companies manage and improve the performance of wireless applications, Mercury Interactive has introduced a comprehensive set of wireless performance management solutions for the explosive wireless Web application market.

Wireless device manufacturers, infrastructure companies, application vendors and corporations with wireless sites can use these solutions before and after deployment to ensure the performance, scalability and reliability necessary for a positive end-user experience.

Support for Web applications based on the wireless application protocol (WAP), and i-mode, the wireless protocol developed by NTT DoCoMo is available immediately in Mercury Interactive`s LoadRunner load testing software and ActiveTest hosted load testing e-service, according to Graeme Allcock, regional sales manager for Mercury Interactive South Africa, a leader in Web performance management solutions.

WAP and i-mode support will be available in September for the company`s real-time performance monitoring software, Topaz, and monitoring e-service, ActiveWatch, and wireless support for its functional testing software, WinRunner, will follow later this year.

In addition, Mercury Interactive announced alliances with leading wireless vendors Nokia, AvantGo, Brience and Everypath, and solution providers Acumen Solutions, AGENCY.COM, Concero, Thoughtmill, Xcelerate and ZEFER.which will use the company`s wireless testing and performance monitoring solutions to deliver reliable, scalable wireless Web applications to their customers.

"WAP-enabled applications are bringing huge value to our customers, putting Internet access in the palms of their hands. As a leading WAP technology provider, Nokia is committed to ensure that these applications perform to the highest standards of accuracy and reliability," said Dr Pertti Lounamaa, vice president-Nokia Internet Communications. "Working with Mercury Interactive, a clear leader in application performance management, we can ensure that customers and consumers get the level of service they`ve come to rely on while benefiting from the innovations that these new standards can deliver."

"High consumer expectations for performance and availability of mobile Internet applications raises the bar for performance management," says Allcock. "With a complete and integrated offering of testing and monitoring solutions, available as either product or hosted e-services, Mercury Interactive is uniquely positioned to help wireless device manufacturers, infrastructure companies, application vendors, and wireless Web site operators meet these expectations."

Wireless applications-the need for performance management

The market for mobile Internet devices and applications is projected to explode as millions of users begin to rely on their cell phones and other handheld devices for more than just keeping in touch. According to recent market forecasts from Gartner Group, mobile phones and handheld devices will outnumber PCs by more than 4 to 1 within the next five years. In fact, by 2002/03, the META Group estimates that wireless transactions will account for 20 to 25 percent of business-to-consumer interactions and 10 to 15 percent of business-to-business interactions.

The rapid growth of this market exacerbates three key challenges in managing the delivery of reliable, scalable Web applications. These challenges are: SS Capacity-millions of mobile users will dramatically increase wireless Web traffic; SS Complexity-wireless adds yet another layer on top of an already complex infrastructure; SS Change-mobile devices vary widely. In addition, the WAP standard itself will continue to change as the market evolves.

"The adoption of Internet-enabled wireless devices is experiencing enormous growth, and adds another challenge to the already complex problem of managing e-commerce applications," says Corey Ferengul, program director with META Group. "Companies need to look for solutions that enable them to test WAP-enabled applications as well as monitor them to ensure the customer experience is the best possible."