Rollout: Sybase's Information Anywhere Suite

Sybase wants to become a one-stop shop for your enterprise's mobility needs. Through its subsidiary, iAnywhere Solutions, the database server software vendor is pulling together several apps to create a secure, manageable platform for access to e-mail and many other enterprise apps on a wide range of mobile devices and OSs. The Sybase Information Anywhere Suite targets organizations deploying their first mobile e-mail solutions as well as ones that want to provide access to complex mobile applications.

The Information Anywhere Suite includes five products: Afaria provides mobile device and desktop management and security; OneBridge enables mobile e-mail; M-Business Anywhere enables content applications; SQL Anywhere enables mobile SQL applications; and Unwired Accelerator gives access to enterprise applications.

Although iAnywhere still has work to do before these pieces will coalesce into a truly unified mobile platform, it has gotten off to an auspicious start with the release of Afaria, originally an XcelleNet product, and OneBridge 5.5, which came with Sybase's acquisition of Extended Systems. Together these two products portend worthy competition for market leader Research in Motion.

A Host Of New Features

Sybase iAnywhere sent us late beta code of Afaria 5.5 and OneBridge 5.5, which we tested in our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. We used three Dell PowerEdge SC1425 servers: one to host our Exchange test server, and separate hosts for Afaria and OneBridge. We also used a Toshiba Satellite 1200 for Outlook connectivity. We used Sybase's own secure relay server, as we did not have a DMZ configured for our test network. Our client devices included a Windows Mobile-based Hewlett Packard iPAQ 6915 and a Symbian-based Nokia E61.

The OneBridge 5.5's new communications architecture, which introduces a secure relay server, is similar to that of RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). The secure relay server runs in an enterprise's DMZ; the OneBridge server resides behind the enterprise firewall and makes an outbound-only connection to the secure relay server. Clients then connect to OneBridge through the relay server. Previously, clients connected directly to the OneBridge server, which meant opening holes in the company firewall. By exposing the enterprise network less, the secure relay server simplifies the network configuration needed to deploy OneBridge.

The main difference between the secure relay server and RIM's BES architecture is with the relay hosts. With BES, RIM hosts the relay server for a monthly fee. With OneBridge, the enterprise hosts the relay. Unfortunately, Afaria 5.5 does not yet take advantage of OneBridge's communication architecture. Organizations must open ports in their firewalls to allow access. Sybase says integration will occur over the next year.

OneBridge has some new features for end users. For example, to conserve battery life, they can tailor push options. However the schedule for defining push e-mail is predefined--from open constantly to open less frequently. We would have liked users to be able to set these push timetables at a more granular level.

OneBridge's corporate directory lookup lets users query the Active Directory global address list to find contact information that may not be defined in the user's address book. While this feature isn't new to the industry (RIM offers it, for example), it helps Sybase keep up with the competition. Unfortunately, queries took several seconds to complete using our beta code--a bug Sybase iAnywhere says it's working to fix.

Security Shines Through

Sybase iAnywhere's integration efforts are more noticeable in Afaria's and OneBridge's security. Afaria 5.5, the suite's management component, includes FIPS 140-2 validated encryption to encrypt files on Palm and Windows Mobile devices--including the files delivered by OneBridge to the user's e-mail inbox. Afaria makes it possible to enforce such security policies as requiring power-on passwords and encryption. However, rather than using the conventional password dialogs, Afaria has its own security manager, which means more customization (including custom graphics and text at the prompt). In addition, when the client device is locked, the security manager lets the device continue to receive phone calls and e-mails. We found the added security made our iPAQ's responsiveness in accessing files and e-mail a little slower, but that's an acceptable trade-off.

Afaria's other management features include hardware/software inventorying, software deployment and incremental software updates (patching). Although RIM offers more control over devices (such as locking down Bluetooth support or disabling cameras), many of BES' device-management features are limited to BlackBerry devices. Afaria manages a far broader range of devices.

Another useful feature in Afaria 5.5 is data fading--wiping specified data files, including the user's inbox, from the mobile device after a specified time period of noncontact with the Afaria server. Data is recovered by resynchronizing with the network. In combination with Afaria's data encryption, this unique fading ability is a good security measure for handheld devices.

Uneven Symbian Support

IAnywhere touts the Sybase Information Anywhere Suite as suitable for Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm OS. However, the performance of OneBridge on our Symbian 9-based Nokia E61 was disappointing. Viewing long e-mails was time-consuming--scrolling was painfully slow. IAnywhere said this was a known bug in the beta code and the company is actively pursuing it. We were also disappointed to find that, while the OneBridge e-mail client has been extended to Symbian 9 devices such as the Nokia Eseries, Nseries and the Sony Ericsson P990i and M600, the Afaria security client and its security features have not. Sybase expects to have a client and other improvements available for the year-old Symbian 9 platform in 2007.

The combination of OneBridge and Afaria gives RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server some healthy competition. For enterprises looking to deploy mobile e-mail only, the difference between BES and the combination of OneBridge and Afaria is small. BES on BlackBerry devices still has the edge--it's easier to deploy and offers more granular device control. However, iAnywhere's portfolio offers a more comprehensive solution for complex, mobile deployments.

Sean Ginevan is a technology analyst with the Center for Emerging Network Technologies at Syracuse University. Write to him at [email protected].