The latest vendor who recognizes the significance of the mobile environment is Oracle who announced a version of their Oracle Application Development Framework (ADF) for mobile applications called appropriately, ADF Mobile. This cross-platform framework is not targeted at the general mobile programmer but instead Oracle is focusing on the enterprise Java developer who is familiar with Oracle’s existing ADF framework for web applications and is looking to extend their current stable of corporate apps to the mobile platform. Using a combination of HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and the Java-based ADF Mobile framework, an application would be available on either an Android or iOS platform running on a JVM under the covers and generating a user interface that would be viewed within a web UI control or web page.
It is not surprising that Oracle made such a move as they have been seen as running behind the competition in the mobile space. Their largest competitors, SAP and IBM both have purchased mobile cross-platform tool vendors (Syclo and WorkLight respectively) in order to further their mobile presence. Having an in-house toolset allows SAP and IBM to begin to provide close integration links with their respective enterprise systems. I expected Oracle to follow their brethren and purchase an existing vendor such as Verivo, Titanium or Nitobi (before they were snatched by Adobe). The reason is that unless an enterprise has already invested in ADF, they would not make a move to ADF Mobile but instead look at cross-platform toolsets such as Titanium Appcelerator or PhoneGap. Oracle has a large stable of enterprise software that clients would like to link to their mobile workforce but it is uncertain if a client would look to ADF Mobile to provide that linkage but instead, keep on shopping.
Another Day, Another Mobile Cross-Platform Tool Announcement
by Perry Hoekstra on October 23rd, 2012 | ~ minute read
