SQL Remote provides two-way replication between a database on an office network and personal databases on the laptop computers of sales representatives. Such a setup may use an email system as a message transport.

The office server may be running a server to manage the company database. The Message Agent at the company database runs as a client application for that server.

At the laptop computers each sales representative has a SQL Anywhere personal server to manage their own data.

While away from the office, a sales representative can make a single phone call from their laptop to carry out the following functions:

The updates may include, for example, new specials on the products the sales representative handles, or new pricing and inventory information. These are read by the Message Agent on the laptop and applied to the sales rep's database automatically, without requiring any additional action on the sales representative's part.

The new orders recorded by the sales representative are also automatically submitted to the office without any extra action on the part of the sales representative.