IBM last month announced software and services to enable mobile devices to closely mimic the desktop features that were only available on the PC. According to the company, the new software includes products with business intelligence, collaboration, social networking and business performance capabilities. IBM is also providing developers with tools to make existing software applications run on most mobile platforms including the BlackBerry and iPhone, as well as Windows Mobile- and Symbian-based handsets.

IBM also announced a business consulting services practice to help companies better manage their mobile work environment. The combination of the new software and services is designed to provide mobile employees and executives with an instant view of how their business is performing, at either a company-wide or detailed business process level, depending on the person’s role.

The IBM mobile software products were created based on IBM's research and investment in the development of mobile Web products and services and include:

* IBM Rational Business Developer software used by developers to create Web 2.0-style applications in IBM's Enterprise Generation Language (EGL), to run on a mainframe or mobile devices.
* IBM Rational Host Access Transformation Services software to help developers transform green screen applications into a mobile user interface and Web services.
* WebSphere Business Monitor software designed to allows users to measure business process performance.

Taking advantage of advances in mobile applications and “cloud computing,” users can “pay for and use the services and storage that they need, when they need them and, as wireless broadband connection options grow, where they need them,” according to IBM. In a prepared statement, Drew Clark, director of strategy, IBM Venture Capital Group said: “The mobile Web presents one of the largest emerging market opportunities we've seen in a decade as billions of people look to access a wide range of services both for business and personal use.”

Our observations: We have bemoaned the lack of advances in enterprise fixed mobile communications and enterprise mobility for some time noting that one frequent excuse is the lack of horizontal and vertical mobile applications. We are encouraged that IBM is stepping up with both software and professional services to make sure this is one excuse that may someday go away.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. Larry Hettick is a principal analyst at Current Analysis.