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        Microsoft BPM gains mobile RFID

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Dec 8, 2008 | Comments: 1


        Microsoft's BPM (business process management) server now supports mobile RFID scanners running Windows Mobile, it says. BizTalk Server gains the capability via newly shipping RFID Mobile and RFID Standards Pack add-ons, which support both currently shipping BizTalk Server releases and a 2009 beta...

        release launched today.

        (Click here for a larger view of Intermec's CK61 handheld computer, which supports BizTalk RFID)
        Microsoft's BizTalk Server 2009 is the latest version of a BPM product designed to integrate Microsoft computing environments with enterprise applications such as Siebel, Oracle, and IBM mainframe databases.         BizTalk Server 2006 R2, generally available in September 2007, first provided support for fixed RFID readers, including device management, data filtering and business rules, electronic data interchange (EDI), and interoperability with line-of-business adapters for manufacturing, finance and healthcare, according to Microsoft.

        Now, the server has gained support for Windows Mobile RFID readers, such as those on forklifts or handheld devices, via Microsoft's new BizTalk RFID Mobile and BizTalk RFID Standards Pack. These add-ons were released via an invitation-only beta in April, but became publicly available as of today. The software permits reliable submission of tags to a BizTalk server, and now lets mobile devices be managed via a BizTalk RFID server, according to the company.

        Features and benefits touted by Microsoft for its RFID addons include:
        • Storing and forwarding tag events, improving reliability in the case of intermittent network connections
        • Support for EPCGlobal (Electronic Product Code global) ratified standards, including TDT (tag data translator) and LLRP (low level reader protocol)
        • Support for Web Services for Devices
        Concurrent with today's announcement, Intermec, which manufactures RFID-equipped Windows Mobile devices such as the CN3 and CK61 (shown at top of story) handhelds, and the CV30 vehicle-mount computer, announced a free deployment kit that's claimed to offer its customers "seamless integration with BizTalk." The "Intermec Device Deployment Kit" is downloadable now, according to the company.

        Paul Sanford, senior product manager at Microsoft, said, "We want to enable our partners to develop cost effective RFID-based solutions that span organizational and geographic boundaries. By investing in BizTalk RFID Mobile, Intermec has enabled customers to more efficiently support the entire lifecycle of an RFID system or application."

        Background

        Microsoft's BizTalk BPM server uses a publish/subscribe architecture designed to integrate multiple software applications, allowing for the exchange of documents such as purchase orders or invoices within or across organizational boundaries. According to Microsoft, the server has two main components:
        • A messaging component provides the ability to communicate with a range of other software via pluggable adapters. Adapters include those for line-of-business applications (such as Siebel, SAP, JD Edwards, and Oracle), databases (SQL Server, Oracle, DB2), and other technologies (Tibco or J2EE).

        • An orchestration component provides support for creating and running graphically-defined processes. Built on top of the engine's messaging components, "orchestrations" implement the logic that drives all or part of a business process.


        Microsoft's BizTalk Server
        (Click to enlarge)

        With the BizTalk Server 2009 beta released today, the BizTalk Server moves to a Windows Server 2008 platform, says Microsoft. This provides the server with support for SQL Server 2008, Hyper-V virtualization, and interoperability with the Visual Studio Team System and Team Foundation Server "application life-cycle management" solutions, the company says.

        According to Microsoft, BizTalk Server 2009 delivers "expanded connectivity options" such as integration with Oracle's E-Business Suite. It also is said to add support for the most recent versions of IBM software such as CICS (customer information control system), IMS (information management system), DB2, DB2/400, DB2 Universal Database, and WebSphere MQ.

        Further information

        For more information on Microsoft's BizTalk server, see the company's website, here. To obtain the BizTalk Server 2009 beta, see Microsoft's Connect website, here.

        Microsoft did not provide download information for the BizTalk RFID Mobile and BizTalk RFID Standards Pack software. However, the add-ons are said to be available at no cost to all BizTalk Server customers that have purchased an edition with Microsoft Software Assurance.


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