Sybase SA, GoMobile and Paracon have created a consortium wherein they will combine their respective skills in middleware, hardware and integration to bring complete enterprise-wide, end-to-end mobile solutions to market.
In terms of the agreement signed, GoMobile will be responsible for all hardware, and associated maintenance and support; Sybase will be responsible for the applications, providing the relevant maintenance and support; and Paracon will be responsible for programme management, system integration and consulting.
This consortium brings together the best that Sybase, Paracon and GoMobile can offer customers in terms of complete mobile solutions, says Caroline Scofield, Sybase's mobile product manager.
"Sybase is considered by Gartner to be the number one mobile middleware market leader, Paracon is a player in the mobile software arena in SA, and GoMobile is 100% focused on consulting to and support of the 'enterprise mobility' market," Scofield says.
The mobile market is still in its infancy and fragmented, and as a result there are many vendors and solution providers customers need to deal with when implementing a mobile solution, says Peter White, GoMobile sales and marketing director.
"Selling a solution involves providing the applications, the hardware and the connectivity," White says. "Previously it was necessary for several parties to become involved to complete and optimise the solution being implemented. This is no longer the case. The consortium aims to bring just one face to the customer, who contracts with only one party."
The consortium is also embarking on an initiative that will help introduce young people, who are still completing their tertiary studies, to the IT industry and specifically the mobile element of IT.
Students will be employed to assist the consortium on various projects, thereby gaining invaluable work and market experience.
"The key to this consortium is that GoMobile, Paracon and Sybase are bringing their extensive experience in the mobile arena to market to provide complete solutions to customers; and sharing our knowledge with students to help them grow their understanding of this exciting environment," Scofield says.
Sybase's mobile division has more than 12 000 customers and 1 000 partners worldwide that rely on the company's industry-leading mBusiness Anywhere platform, providing mobile enterprise solutions, Scofield says. The company's AvantGo mobile Internet service has more than 10 million registered subscribers.
Paracon is an international company firmly established as one of the leading providers of IT services and solutions, says Paracon director Deon Crabtree. The company's strengths lie in the diversity of IT skills within the group and its ability to strategically bring resources together to provide tailor-made IT solutions. Paracon is one of only a few IT organisations in SA with the A rating for black empowerment.
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Sybase SA is the sole African representative of Sybase Inc (USA), one of the largest global independent software companies, and has offices across the continent. Sybase's open architecture solutions provide the data management and mobility necessary to create the unwired enterprise.
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