ASTA SkyWire ^tm provides technology to allow businesses to add Wireless services for their legacy and new business processes. SkyWire's four important features are available across platforms and can be used with most of the popular Development tools on Windows, Linux, Java, Palm, WinCE, RIM, Tablets and other embedded devices. The technology is delivered using a component architecture bringing Windows-like features to PDA and desktop development tools. The technology can be considered to be like a fabric in that only a portion or piece may be required for any particular project but can act as enabling technology for businesses wishing to quickly provide Wireless solutions.

• Middleware Server
• Messaging
• Database
• Sync Technology

MiddleWare Server

SkyWire servers are both scalable and easy to deploy. If need be they can easily be run as primary application servers but they can also be run on normal desktop PC's with no deployment requirements except to start them up. In many cases SkyWire servers are database servers and can connect natively, on any platform to virtually any database available.

But SkyWire servers can also act as proxy or adapter servers to communicate with large Application servers via XML messaging.

JAsta is an ASTA Java Server that uses JNDI to communicate with EJB severs and allows all ASTA cross platform clients to make calls to EJB Servers.

SkyWire servers are both ASP servers and Peer to Peer servers, a versatile combination that will be essential in the appliance-to-business space in which devices communicate with other devices and which requires the ability to access a persistent store from any point. The consumer home market to allow devices like home security will also be fertile ground for SkyWire embedded servers or SkyWire Linux appliances.

Messaging

ASTA Cross Platform Message lists allow any kinds of data to be easily marshaled over machine boundaries through light, easy to deploy ASTA Embedded Server Middleware. ASTA Servers are cross platform and can either be primary database servers or act as a proxy between EJB, COM or proprietary mainframe or corporate data via the ASTA native protocol or XML. ASTA has cross platform XML parsers that will be available for the DOT NET release in Q1 2002, and we will be one of the few companies that will allow Palms to natively execute SOAP Services. ASTA messaging is based on a Datalist concept that allows for easy transport of any type of data (string, float, integer, Boolean, blob etc). ASTA binary protocol can be used for the most efficient format or XML can be used if desired. The communication layer handles authentication, compression and encryption.

Database

SkyWire Servers are available to connect natively to just about any database from Enterprise databases to databases on the Palm and WinCE. The ability to get data in and out of disparate databases is essential in the Wireless world where it may be required to fetch data from a remote mainframe or oracle database and store it in remote handheld or tablet devices. Using remote SkyWire thin client applications, databases can be administered and remote scripts can be created so that any SkyWire clients can execute remote procedure calls over the Internet.

Sync Technology

Being able to work disconnected is a key element of the new Wireless world. ASTA has a patent being processed on ASTA SkySync. SkySync uses concepts that Windows developers are accustomed to, to allow any databases to be synchronized across platforms. Of course replication services are available from database vendors themselves, but most often they don't include the ability to synchronize with different databases and certainly not from handheld devices. SkySync allows SkyWire Peer to Peer servers to synchronize data and also provides tools to allow developers to easily develop PDA applications that support remote synchronization with any database. SkyWire servers can be configured or scripted to provide a flexible mechanism to deal with the inevitable conflict resolution issues created by remote users checking data back into servers concurrently.

There is a Windows to Wireless migration occurring now that is similar to the migration from DOS to Windows that occurred in the early 1990's. ASTA SkyWire provides all of the elements required to enable developers to make that migration easily and efficiently.