Schering Laboratories is using AvantGo's mobile software to enable allergy sufferers to access regional pollen forecasts and information on allergies and its CLARINEX allergy medicine on their PDAs. Schering said the customer campaign, initiated and co-developed by the interactive agency i-FRONTIER, is designed to promote awareness of and better prepare individuals for high-allergy seasons.

Using their mobile devices, individuals can enter their zip code directly into the Pollen Forecast to receive a four-day allergy update. For allergy sufferers, the Pollen Forecast provides additional information, including an allergen guide and discussions about seasonal patterns and how to travel with allergies.

The companies claim the mobile site on My AvantGo also serves as a first-stop educational resource about coping with allergies and suggests steps that individuals can take for effective relief of symptoms, including questions for physicians.

"Our goal in providing pollen information directly on PDAs using AvantGo software is to provide easy access to important information for people on-the-go," said Nori Brownstein, Account Manager at i-FRONTIER. "Allergies don't happen according to a schedule, they happen when people are out-and-about, living their lives. AvantGo provides information to people when they can't get to their computers."

In related new, AvantGo has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office that the Company will receive its third patent for its mobile technology. The company said it believes the patent will be issued before the end of March.

According to the company, this newest patent will cover AvantGo's methodology for off-line viewing of web pages or "channels" of content that enable marketers and enterprises to deliver mobile applications in an always-available mode. Avantgo said it would include the synchronization of content, the definition of channels and the viewing of content for XML-based web services, applications and data for applications where field data and transaction integrity are critical.