This data can be generated on the client computer a middle tier server or a corporate server. The range of different client devices, the likelihood that there are going to be many more client devices than servers and the fact that the client devices will most probably be connected only occasionally to the servers imposes new and different requirements on database management products used by e-business applications. An example of this difference would be a client PDA which downloads a set of information to the PDA during an internet connection. The user then disconnects the device and goes offline for an unspecified period of time. Then the user updates the information offline on the PDA device while not being connected to the server. Finally the information is uploaded from the PDA back to the main host database system and the main host database itself is updated with the new information.
The advent of all of these new devices, the internet and our ever increasing desire for more information creates a host of new requirements upon database products and design. The database should be able to support applications that are portable and can be run anywhere. An example is a PDA download. The database should support low resource requirements that the more limited PDA's and cell phones are capable of supporting. The database should have low installation, maintenance and administration as often the end users are unaware or incapable of traditional database administration or computer systems administration duties. The database should be flexible as to connectivity supporting such connections as wireless, dial-up, broadband and local and wide are networks. It should have a data synchronization capability as since these devices are only connected part of the time. The database should have easy applications management. The database has to be secure while accomplishing all of its tasks.