Sybase and Siemens Enterprise Communications (SEN) Group just joined forces to provide customers with an integrated mobile and fixed-line voice and data service targeted at making unified communications and mobile work together more efficiently.

The new offering marries Sybase's mobile device management capabilities with the SEN Group's fixed mobile convergence (FMC) technology to provide a streamlined for businesses to manage diversified communications. The service will also help businesses to effectively manage operations such as inventory and expenses, logistics, mobile devices and applications.

Sybase Afaria enables the SEN Group to significantly reduce the complexities associated with managing multiple device types at a time when consumers are increasingly bringing personal smart phones into the workplace.

Afaria will be embedded into the SEN Group's technology, a platform that centralizes enterprise VoIP, VoWLAN and cellular mobility.

The new offering consists of two components. The first is the MobileConnect Appliance, located at the central site, sitting on the wired network between the WLAN and the SIP PBX, which continually monitors and manages mobile user sessions regardless of whether they are on the corporate or public network. The second part is the MobileConnect Client, software that resides on the dual-mode handset and works with the MobileConnect Appliance to navigate enterprise-cellular exchange.