Adesso Wants VARs To Mobilize LAN-locked Apps

The company's software promises to extend thus-far-PC-locked applications to a world of Windows-based handheld, smartphone and other devices.

To date, Boston-based Adesso has been pushing the software directly but is now recruiting VARs, from both the Microsoft and IBM Software communities for the Adesso Platform.

Adesso, formerly known as Thinkingbytes, already has John Hendrickson, CEO of InterDyn Business MicroVAR, a long-standing Minneapolis-based Microsoft Business Solutions partner, and part of the Microsoft Inner Circle, aboard. Hendrickson is chairing the company's Partner Advisory Board.

Hendrickson says Adesso's offering may make mobile applications a reality. "Everyone's been talking about mobility but there are few deliverables. I can take this software into a company and train them on how to mobile-enable their existing apps," he said.

Adesso CEO Dennis Kelly says there's a huge base of talent looking for just this type of tool. "The exciting part is that these VARs, particularly old Notes and Microsoft VARs, have been waiting for new technology to bring to their customer base. Adesso can let them take advantage of huge trends, miniaturization of devices, wireless networks, and let them walk into customers, sell some new product and servies and move up the value chain," Kelly said.

A major problem with CRM, ERP--well frankly any business application, is that mobility thus far is more promise than reality. Most companies are doing a lot of "one-off stuff, kind of 'piecemealing' things together to make it work . That's time consuming and expensive. Here's a nice tool that is tested and supported," Hendrickson noted.

Partners get free software for internal use and will be able to offer customization and implementation services. End-user cost of the software runs anywhere from $35 to $70 per user per month depending on the applications. Current customers include Exxon, Xerox, Abbott Laboratories, G.E. Medical Systems, and Sonitrol, the company said.

Adesso CTO and Chairman John Landry, formerly of Lotus Development and IBM Software, once a notorious Microsoft basher, now can't say enough nice things about the software giant. He extols the quality of Microsoft's .Net programming environment, and Adesso is very Microsoft-centric. Target devices are PocketPCs, or any device running WinCE, as well as desktops and laptops running Windows as far back as Windows 98. The underlying database is either Microsoft's JET engine, MSDE, or SQL Server, depending on the user's device.

The company plans to retain it's Microsoft client focus, but may extend support on the backend to different database engines.

Adesso's platform, which puts client software on all the devices, takes care of data synchronization and replication, so that people who still have a hard time finding non-interrupted wireless connections can still be productive, executives said.

Adesso wants to have 35 to 50 partners in the U.S. and drive 50 percent of its sales through channels by the end of the year, said Chris Hawver, senior vice president of sales.