2.1 How can I serve custom content for different devices?

M-Business Client sends up several HTTP headers that include information such as screen size, device OS, and bit depth. The information in these headers is Base64-encoded, so you need to grab our HTTP headers, decode their values, and then use that information to serve up custom content.

Uh... I have no idea what you just said.

Not to worry. Check out Using M-Business Client HTTP request headers to customize content.

2.2 How do I minimize the load on my Web server?

Perhaps the best way to minimize your channel's impact on your server is to set it up for caching. The longer your pages and page elements are set to cache, the less often our server will hit yours with requests for fresh content. If you have not already, see Caching to Improve Channel Performance.

Another way to minimize load on your server is to check your channel pages for links to pages that are not handheld friendly (for example, your main Web site). These leaks cause our server to crawl pages that are not optimized for display on mobile devices and to download large images, flash animations, java applets, and other elements that can result in greater load on your server and longer synchronization times for your subscribers. Such leaks may also cause your channel to exceed your maximum channel size.

2.3 What is PODS?

PODS is a custom server. It allows you to create some logic on the device so you can create more of an interactive session on the mobile device without waiting for the user to synchronize.

2.4 Can I write my own PODS for my site?

Yes, but most likely you do not need to. PODS are platform-specific modules compiled from C code. Almost all of the public API is accessible from JavaScript. Since JavaScript is cross-platform, just about the only reason to write C code is to get maximum speed when you really need it, for example when processing very large data sets. For more information about determining when to develop in C vs. JavaScript, see Choosing a language.

2.5 Can I write plug-ins for the M-Business Client browser?

Not at this time. We do not currently have a plug-in system for the M-Business Client browser beyond the PODS infrastructure.