title: Blackberry applet to communicate with back-office server
body: <p>We use a back-office accounting system with an SQL db2 database.  Our sales, service and management all have <strong>Blackberries</strong>.  I have started to write some <strong>HTML web scripts</strong> that go through BES sever so staff can access and update data (sales summaries, late orders, AR approvals).</p>
  
  <p>The next level seems to be using the <strong>native blackberry applets</strong> to manage data.  For instance we could use an application that notifies head of A/R when a substancial order is being prepared for a customer who is behind in payments. This would require a form of push notification (message and/or email) from server, an entry in Blackberry database, a screen to view list of unapproved orders, a way to approve/reject orders that would update local database and backoffice server.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Questions</strong></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>what language?  <strong>Java J2ME with blackberry classes</strong> seem most obvious, but is there any viable rapid development tools on this platform?</p></li>
  <li><p>what <strong>database</strong> on Blackberry?  Is there a choice?</p></li>
  <li><p>what is appropriate technology to <strong>push and pull data</strong> (sockets, http?)</p></li>
  <li><p>can we hire a regular Java guy with a year or two exp, or do we need a Blackberry specialist</p></li>
  <li><p>is <strong>synchronizing data</strong> an issue. If blackberry is out of range, will missing messages be synchronized automatically or do you have to control this programically?</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>thank you</p>