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The shortcomings of application vendors' mobility offerings might make IT managers feel they've got two less-than-ideal choices: bite the bullet and run unsatisfactory mobile versions of enterprise applications, or go with third-party mobility solutions and live with the added complexity, integration and support.

IBM has leapt into the fray with a Lotus Workplace initiative it calls Workplace Client Technology (WCT). IT groups can use the Workplace platform as a hub to deliver myriad applications that are centrally managed on servers, IBM says. Users can access both the data and the applications they need from the server - keeping the clients thin.

"IBM's building management into the core of WCT," says Warren Wilson, an analyst with Summit Strategies. "The problem with many mobile solutions is that they're bolted on after the fact, so custom code [needs to] be written for each application and devices have to be managed separately."

IBM has used WCT to gain ground on Microsoft's Office suite, analysts say. Office runs only on Windows and Macintosh operating systems, while WCT is more versatile, running on those operating systems as well as Unix, Linux, PalmSource and Symbian.

But WCT also might turn into a platform for enterprise applications. PeopleSoft and Siebel Systems are among vendors interested in making their applications available through WCT, IBM says.

As Wilson notes: "IBM has developed plug-ins for Office applications. There's no reason the same couldn't be done for [applications from] other vendors."