Good Technology has thrown down the gauntlet to Research in
Motion's popular BlackBerry, promising an easier enterprise setup
and management system for wireless e-mail and data access.
The company started signing up enterprise accounts last October
using software that runs on BlackBerry devices from RIM, with
Good's secure e-mail servers.
Good now boasts 20 enterprise wireless e-mail accounts, and
announced yesterday that it would expand its offering with its own
wireless data device, the G100, and an enterprise data access
server, called GoodInfo, this summer. Good will also support
devices from Palm and the Microsoft Pocket PC platform, said Good
chief executive officer Daniel Shader.
While Good argues that its method is easier for users because no
synchronisation is needed to access all Exchange functions, RIM
officials say they have not made all functions wireless to reduce
the cost of airtime.
"You don't want to do big bulk syncs wirelessly in order save
bandwidth," Mike Lazaridis, RIM founder and president. He said that
Good is "not a threat" to RIM and its announcement is "overblown"
since every feature Good has announced will soon be provided by
RIM.
RIM supports Lotus Domino and Notes, as well as Exchange. In terms
of other technology comparisons, analysts noted that RIM provides a
voice capability in its 5810 model that Good's device will not.
Good functions over the Mobitex network, while BlackBerry users can
choose four different networks.
At present, RIM requires synchronisation to a laptop or desktop to
delete e-mails or to gain access to Exchange address or the memo
pad function.
RIM has 321,000 BlackBerry e-mail subscribers, a number some
industry observers find relatively small but still important..