New Webalo platform lets apps transcend mobile devices

Webalo, provider of platforms that make it easier for users to view and navigate data on their mobile phones, has released a new version of its core product — now called Webalo Mobile Dashboard 2.0 — that allows web applications to run on any smartphone without custom programming. The service is designed specifically for enterprise applications, where employees depend on access to a company’s databases, reports and web properties from anywhere in the field.

Based in Los Angeles, the company says the new platform was built to fit the needs of businesses that want to avoid the costs of scaling and maintaining mobile-specific applications, especially because they change so frequently.

The major component of the product is its interface, called Agenda, which allows network administrators to choose which data to make available to which workers’ phones — no complicated coding required. This substantially slashes development and deployment time, Webalo says. On top of that, its supplemental technology, Web Connect, scrapes relevant web sites and funnels the information through Agenda. When an application doesn’t fit this mold, the platform allows fast XML connectivity.

Webalo’s service runs on almost every smartphone, including those running BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian or Java-enabled operating systems. The iPhone remains a gaping hole in its offerings, although the device is used much less often for enterprise and corporate purposes than the others. Several months ago the company said it was planning to release an application for the iPhone between April and June, but it has yet to materialize.

Webalo has raised $6.5 million in capital.

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About the Author, Camille Ricketts

Camille is the lead writer for GreenBeat. She came to VentureBeat from Google where she worked on its traditional platforms team, particularly in TV. Before that, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York and London. Follow her on Twitter at @camillericketts, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

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