RPG and COBOL go Mobile with aXes
Deliver applications straight from your IBM i using existing RPG or COBOL skills to mobile users of Smart Phones, Tablets and PDAs
Sydney, Australia — October 11, 2010 — LANSA announces the release of aXes Mobile. From today, it’s easy to access existing IBM i RPG or COBOL applications directly from a mobile wireless device, without making any changes to existing programs. And it’s easy to design and develop brand new mobile applications using your existing RPG or COBOL skills.
aXes Mobile automatically converts the 5250 data stream into HTML and communicates with the mobile device via a supported Web browser, including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Mobile devices supported include Smartphones, Cell Phones, PDAs and Tablet Computers (e.g. iPhones, iPads, Android devices, the latest technology from Blackberry and devices with Windows Mobile 7).
aXes Mobile uses the power of HTML 5 and the emerging industry standard WebKit browser family to provide ubiquitous access to IBM i server based applications from a mobile device.
aXes Mobile continues the aXes zero deployment model with nothing to install on the mobile wireless device. There is no requirement for a new Web server or other extra hardware either. With aXes Mobile, your data is safe, secure, compressed and encrypted, with deployment features to ensure that the data is ‘thin’ and fast.
Using Existing Programs without any Change to the Source Code
Most of your current IBM i programs will be in RPG, COBOL and DDS. You may not have the time or resources to rewrite them, or maybe you don’t even have the source code. But your mobile workforce does need access. This is where aXes Mobile comes to the fore.
Without changing any lines of code on the IBM i Server (unlike other approaches), aXes automatically converts the user interface of your existing programs, so that it can be accessed via a browser from any number of mobile wireless devices.
You will be able to access your current IBM i applications and perform IBM i administration tasks remotely -within minutes of installing aXes Mobile – from your favourite mobile device.
Writing Brand New, Special Purpose Mobile Applications
If you want to continue to use your RPG or COBOL skills to create brand new, purpose built applications accessible by a mobile user community, with aXes Mobile you can do just that.
It is important to understand that delivering a complete replica of an existing 5250 based application to a mobile wireless device and a mobile audience that cannot effectively use it, may produce little or no ROI.
A better approach may be to categorize an application's functional portfolio and identify the highest value slivers of functionality. These high value functional areas are then repurposed to specifically and optimally match the capabilities of both the mobile wireless device and the mobile user.
A Service Repair application is a good example of an application that can be written in RPG to communicate, via aXes Mobile, with a variety of mobile wireless devices.
Using RPG or COBOL, design and write the program as usual, but take the much smaller screen real estate into account. Then, layout (paint) each screen using aXes eXtensions:
- Add controls like drop downs, group boxes, hyperlinks, images, checkboxes, calendars.
- Add buttons with scripts that control what happens when they are clicked.
- Alter the position of fields on the screen.
- Insert bars, stripes, colors and color gradients to enhance the appearance.
aXes Mobile Summary
Your mobile workforce, partner community and customer base can now get the information they need when and where they need it.
- Using aXes Mobile is Simple. Learning is easy. Comprehensive tutorials are available.
- The reuse of existing RPG or COBOL skills leads to rapid delivery of solutions and provides strong ROI, even for SMBs.
- aXes Mobile is shipped as part of the standard aXes family of products and can be used by all current aXes licensees without further cost.
The aXes family of products is available for license from a worldwide network of reseller partners or from your local LANSA office. Visit www.axeslive.com/products/mobile-device-applications.htm for details. The software is licensed by processor or by number of concurrent sessions. Pricing is available on request.