No one doubts the popularity of Blackberry - when it comes to email delivery/retrieval it just plain works. I've tried using a PocketPC to send/receive email and it's a nightmare. For one, it's a "pull" technology - I have to logon to the 2.5/3G network, then synchronize which took forever, then actually attempt to open/read an email and then reply. It was too many steps and it was slow. The beauty of Blackberries is that it is not a "pull" technology, but rather an always-ON PUSH technology. If someone sends you an email, a few moments later it shows up on your Blackberry.
Now everyone want to duplicate the success of Blackberry's push technology, especially the phone manufacturers. They lose a potential revenue source when customers use Blackberries for email delivery instead of their phones.
Further, I should point out that the business model for cell phones in the United States differs than that in Europe. In Europe, customers look for the most number of SMS messages in their "bucket" that they can use each month. In the United States, we look for the most number of voice minutes in our monthly bucket. It's quite interesting in that all SMS really is.. is a form of email. it's Europe's version of the Blackberry, and European carriers make a killing on SMS revenue!
U.S. based service providers, carriers, etc. are starting to catch on to the fact that 100% all-the-time access to email is critical for providing a revenue source, as well as have better customer retention. As such, I found this new release as further evidence towards the trend of "push email" technnology.
(p.s. I'm still waiting for Microsoft to get this right with their PocketPCs. Maybe an OS upgrade will solve the issue. I love my PocketPc for GPS and Internet browsing, but again email capability leaves a lot to be desired)
VISTO ANNOUNCES VISTO MOBILE 5.0™ ON SYMBIAN OS™
New Sony Ericsson P910 smartphone powered by Symbian OS among first devices with support for Visto’s breakthrough solution for over-the-air email, calendar, and contacts push
Symbian Expo, London, UK, October 5th, 2004) - At Symbian Expo today, breakthrough mobile email company, Visto, announced that the Sony Ericsson P910 is among the first mobile phones to support Visto Mobile 5.0, Visto’s next generation platform for push-based real-time over-the-air email, coupled with constantly updated calendar and contact information. Symbian OS is the global market leading open operating system for smartphones.
Visto Mobile 5.0 on Symbian OS means that a wide range of mobile devices will be able to instantly synchronise email, calendar, and contacts with individual PCs or corporate messaging servers. The breakthrough is delivered by Visto’s unique “ConstantSync” technology, which allows the Visto Mobile 5.0 solution to push email, calendar, and contact updates to mobile devices instantly, securely, and with minimum over-the-air data consumption.
Visto’s ConstantSync technology also ensures that new messages, message replies, and calendar or contact updates made on mobile phones are updated on the PC or corporate messaging server automatically and instantly with absolute synchronicity between the user’s Inbox, Sent Items, and Deleted Items folders.
Sony Ericsson’s new P910 smartphone, which has started shipping in selected markets this month, will be the first Symbian OS smartphone supported by Visto Mobile 5.0 and its ConstantSync technology.
Brian Bogosian, Chairman and CEO of Visto said: “We are seeing strong interest from European and global operators, partners and users for push-based mobile email/PIM solutions on devices that mirror phone and PDA functions, in a familiar format, and from the recognised leaders in the market. The push capabilities of Visto Mobile 5.0, running on the Symbian OS and on a device like the Sony Ericsson P910 meets all these criteria. With this combination we will accelerate market demand for smartphones amongst business users and consumers exponentially.”
“We’re pleased that Visto is launching and demonstrating Mobile 5.0 on the Sony Ericsson P910 at Symbian Expo today, our annual trade show which is completely dedicated to the entire smartphone industry, said Marit Doving, executive vice president, marketing, Symbian. “Visto 5.0 on Symbian OS phones enables users to enjoy convenient, easy-to-use communications through email, calendar and contact information synchronized automatically over-the-air with Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes servers;”
Henrik Voigt, Senior Manager Enterprise Alliances at Sony Ericsson said: “Our customers want secure and instant access to their email, calendar, and contacts and they want a device that combines the best elements of a phone and a PDA without compromising usability or size. The Sony Ericsson P910 with its unique flip-down QWERTY keypad and Visto’s ConstantSync technology does exactly that and allows users to have a complete messaging experience where they are able to easily compose or reply to messages or open, view and edit message attachments.”
About Symbian
Symbian is a software licensing company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the global open industry standard operating system for advanced, data-enabled mobile phones.
Symbian licenses Symbian OS to the world’s leading handset manufacturers. The following Symbian OS licensees have Symbian OS-based mobile phones in production and development: Arima, BenQ, Fujitsu for NTT DoCoMo FOMA, LG, Lenovo, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Sendo, Siemens, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. In 2003, over 6.67 million Symbian OS-based mobile phones were sold worldwide and more than 15 million have been sold to date.
Visto announces Visto mobile 5.0 on Symbian OS / …3
About Visto
Visto is the leading provider of wireless messaging and collaboration solutions to mobile operators for the broadest set of mobile device platforms and markets. Visto is opening up the mass market for wireless messaging and collaboration by providing a broad and open, carrier-grade, global solution for mobile operators targeting enterprises and mobile professionals, providing mobile operators with a single scalable solution. Visto's customized, brandable solutions are available through mobile operators worldwide and are used by AT&T Wireless, Bell Mobility, KPN, Manitoba Telecom Services, Nextel Communications, Inc., Rogers Wireless, SaskTel Mobility, SmarTone and TELUS Mobility.
Established in 1996 and headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, Visto is backed by Oak Investment Partners, VantagePoint Venture Partners, Meritech Capital Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Rustic Canyon Ventures, Allegis Capital and Blueprint Ventures. For more information, visit www.visto.com or email [email protected].
