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Cingular to push Microsoft push technology starting June 19, 2006 June 13, 2006 [General] | By Edward J. R. Microsoft slowly (too slowly!) realizes that having Windows Mobile devices with push email means nothing if users will have no access to push email service through mobile operators (i.e. wireless carriers), because that's what happens with BlackBerry service: it is also offered by carriers themselves... and not just by some incompetent Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Information from Microsoft follows. * * * * * Cingular Offers Microsoft Direct Push Technology for the Cingular 8125, 2125 Devices Companies introduce easy-to-deploy, enterprise-class push e-mail experience and solution-specific rate plans. Cingular Wireless will offer its business customers access to corporate e-mail via Direct Push Technology, a feature of Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 with the Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) upgrade, beginning on June 19, 2006. The solution initially will be available on two of the hottest wireless devices in the market today: the Cingular 8100 series Pocket PC and Cingular 2125 Smartphone. Direct Push Technology delivers an enhanced mobile experience to organizations that use Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 by pushing updates to e-mail, calendar items, contacts and tasks as they arrive directly from the Exchange Server to the devices. MSFP additionally enhances these Windows Mobile-powered Cingular Wireless devices by delivering improved device management and added security features for IT administrators, like over-the-air device password policy enforcement and remote wipe of the device in case of loss or theft. Corporate customers will be able to access e-mail and other Microsoft Office Outlook-related functions via new solution-specific rate plans. These rate plans will identify Direct Push Technology customers and qualify them for specialized customer service and technical support, a key part of the Cingular Wireless e-mail offering. “Microsoft Direct Push Technology delivers a great wireless e-mail capability that is seamlessly integrated with Exchange Server 2003. This greatly improves the ability of Cingular corporate customers to rapidly deploy wireless e-mail by simplifying the enterprise messaging architecture,” said Michael Woodward, Executive Director of Mobile Professional Solutions, for Cingular Wireless. “We believe this important and powerful addition to Cingular’s business solutions portfolio will lead to broader adoption of wireless e-mail in the enterprise sector and further extend Cingular’s worldwide market share leadership in this space.” “Microsoft and Cingular’s strong integration demonstrates our commitment to providing the latest technologies and tools for success to mobile professionals as they discover new and different ways of living the mobile lifestyle,” said Scott Horn, General Manager, Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. “Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology upgrade creates fast, on-the-go access to essential business information — such as e-mail, calendar data and tasks — empowering people to stay connected when away from the office.” Easy Deployment The enterprise-grade solution is simple to deploy for new and existing customers. For new B2B customers, the client software is included on the Cingular 8100 Series and Cingular 2125 devices and the server software is included in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2. Users of devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 simply plug in the same credentials they would use for Outlook Web Access, and their e-mail and other Outlook information is delivered automatically. All existing customers can download the upgrade for free from the Cingular Web site. The new combined offering includes the following features:
Enhancements to security and device management include remote policy enforcement, remote device wipe, password enforcement, native S/MIME support, certificate-based authentication and FIPS 140-2 certification. Cingular’s offering of Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology meets the needs of companies that depend on wireless e-mail for mission critical communications. It has been thoroughly tested for certification on Cingular’s nationwide EDGE network, the largest national high-speed wireless data network in the U.S., and is supported by Cingular’s data help desk, resulting in a highly reliable enterprise-grade solution. Popular Devices The Cingular 8100 series and 2125 are cost-effective converged high-speed, global communications devices that appeal to a broad range of wireless users, from individual consumers to larger companies. In addition to their Windows Mobile 5.0 capabilities, they feature the best in connectivity, productivity, and mobility with EDGE, Bluetooth, quad-band international roaming, and integrated Wi-Fi on the Cingular 8100 Series Pocket PCs. Cingular’s EDGE network is available in 13,000 cities and towns and along nearly 40,000 miles of major highways. Both devices also provide a rich multimedia experience to enjoy music and video featuring an integrated multimedia suite with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, stereo headset jack, and 1.3 megapixel camera. The devices support multiple audio formats including MP3, AMR, AAC, WAV and Windows Media Audio (WMA), as well as MPEG-4 video streaming. A mini-SD expansion card slot allows the user to add memory for storing music, games, photos and video. Pricing and Availability Microsoft Direct Push Technology will be available through Cingular’s B2B sales organization starting on June 19. For the Cingular 8100 Series Pocket PC, the Cingular Microsoft Direct Push Technology data plan is $44.99 with a qualifying voice plan for unlimited Internet and e-mail access. For the Cingular 2125 Smartphone, the data plan is $29.99 with a qualifying voice plan for unlimited Internet and e-mail access. Both plans include access to specialized tier 1 and 2 support. Cingular customers that already have deployed Cingular 8100 Series or Cingular 2125 devices can download the MSFP software update for free from http://www.cingular.com/microsoft starting on June 19. Original source of this story is here.  Post your comment (free registration is required to post, but if you register you can edit your posts later)
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