Oracle details business software plans

Oracle has outlined an ambitious business software service for customers in the wake of its acquisition spree of around a dozen companies including rival PeopleSoft, reports USA Today.

The report says the full software service is due in 2008 and will blend the best features of Oracle`s expanding product line from accounting and sales to supply-chain management.

Oracle says the applications will be rolled out in the next few years so customers can mix and match software to build business processes.

IPWireless has announced a multimedia broadcast multicast service mobile television platform that can deliver broadcasts on 3G cellular networks, unlike other existing mobile TV platforms, reports Information Week.

The company says its new service, called TDtv, will help telecommunication carriers across Europe and Asia justify the billions they have spent on developing 3G.

TDtv operates in the universal 3G spectrum bands at 1 900MHz and 2 010MHz and allows Universal Mobile Telecommunication System operators to use existing spectrum and base stations to offer subscribers mobile television and multimedia packages without impacting other voice and data 3G services.

The largest US mobile carrier, Cingular, has introduced a cellphone that comes equipped with Microsoft`s Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, reports Red Herring.

The company says the Cingular 2125 is the first smartphone in North America to feature Windows Mobile 5.0. The current version of Windows Mobile 5.0 features a mobile version of Microsoft Office, known as Office Mobile, and Bluetooth capability.

Cingular 2125 enables users to listen to music and watch videos using Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. It will also feature some of the benefits of the latest version of Windows Mobile including persistent memory storage, a feature that allows the device to retain information even when the battery is depleted.

Microsoft has given developers access to a key piece of Windows Vista, months ahead of the operating system`s release.

The company this week posted near-final versions of two software development technologies that are part of WinFX, the underlying programming model being introduced with Vista, which is scheduled to ship late this year.

News.Com says Microsoft describes the release as "a significant checkpoint" on the road toward delivery of the company`s new programming model, because it allows developers to build and deploy applications on their core production systems.

WiMax wireless technology may be at the peak of its hype cycle with proponents touting its potential to bridge the digital divide in emerging economies because of its range and speed. However, eWeek says there are several factors still casting doubt on the technology`s prospects.

These include delays in WiMax certification testing, lack of definite carrier commitment, competition with other wireless technologies and expensive equipment.

However, the report says with promises of a Centrino notebook chipset that supports WiMax by 2007, Intel is leading a group of companies that continue to be WiMax champions.