BEA, Nokia team up for wireless e-commerce

Systems software vendor BEA Systems will work with Finnish mobile giant Nokia on wireless e-commerce applications for accessing the Internet over mobile devices, BEA announced yesterday.

BEA will integrate its WebLogic Server with the Nokia WAP Server, allowing software developers to create e-commerce applications for WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) compliant devices, the company said in a statement. The product is being demonstrated at the WAP Developers Symposium in Helsinki this week.

BEA's WebLogic Server enables developers to build transaction-based e-commerce applications using Java and Enterprise JavaBeans components, BEA said.

Combined with Nokia's WAP server, the WebLogic server software can be used to develop applications such as stock trading, banking and order entry and confirmation over personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones, according to BEA.

WAP is quickly becoming more widespread throughout Europe. British Telecommunications PLC's mobile subsidiary BT Cellnet, rolled out its WAP services this week, and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) announced earlier this month that it is testing a service that will allow flight booking as well as follow up information to be accessed over mobile devices using WAP.