Users are now being offered several alternative wireless
e-mail services to rival Research In Motion's Blackberry
device.
Over the past month Nokia, Intellisync, Sproqit, Siemens, Smartner,
Good Technology and Visto have all come up with mobile e-mail
systems to compete with those from RIM.
With push e-mail users receive e-mail messages automatically on
their mobile devices, via GPRS mobile networks, once the messages
have been sent to a user's mail server.
The e-mail server is connected to a gateway that passes e-mail
messages from the user's inbox, across a mobile operator's network
and onto a device equipped with suitable client software, such as
the Blackberry client.
Users can respond directly to the e-mails they receive and their
sent mail is replicated across the mobile network, through the
gateway and onto the e-mail server database.
Such systems are easy to deploy and often require little
preparation and user training.
Analyst Gartner predicted that by 2008, 80% of staff will use push
e-mail. Until recently, the Blackberry was the only widely
available device. Globally, there are well over 20,000 RIM
Enterprise Server systems installed.
According to Gartner, Intellisync is one of the closest to RIM in
terms of market reach, financial backing and product features. And
Intellisync's product is also device-independent, as opposed to
RIM's main focus on supplying its Blackberry devices supported by
its software installed on corporate servers.
Intellisync has launched version 6 of its operating software and is
trying to win market share from RIM by signing deals with mobile
operators across Europe.
The company's software is also loaded onto mobile phones from most
of the big manufacturers.
RIM is now making sure this happens with its software via its
Blackberry Connect programme, so it will not have to rely on the
established Blackberry devices for revenues.
Nokia is ensuring its phone users are not limited to these two,
however. It recently announced it was loading push e-mail software
from Good Technology and Smartner on some of its phones.
Gartner said that if companies simply want wireless e-mail, then
RIM is still a good bet. But it added that for superior data
synchronisation covering all types of files, better device
management and security, it is worth considering other
options.
Rip Gerber, vice-president of Intellisync, said the company's
software for servers is similar in price to RIM's when it comes to
basic push e-mail, but admits it is more expensive when extra
functionality is needed.
Such functionality is illustrated by a deal with PeopleSoft. Here
PeopleSoft users can access business applications using Intellisync
software.
While RIM recently launched the latest version of its operating
software, which improved support for Lotus Notes and Novell
Groupwise, the challenge to Blackberry's supremacy is clear as far
as Visto is concerned.
Launching the latest version of Visto's push e-mail software, its
chief executive Brian Bogosian, said, "We have strong mobile
operator partnerships, the financial strength and the intellectual
property that will allow us to surpass RIM's total subscriber base
next year."