Nextel enables email access on Java phones

CALIFORNIA: Nextel Communications Inc.

and Visto Corporation

announced the launch of Mobile Email Enhanced, the first email service for

Java-enabled mobile phones with full synchronization and a PDA-like feel,

states a company press release.

Mobile Email Enhanced pairs ConstantSync, Visto's wireless

synchronization technology, with an on-the-phone application to provide

real-time access to email, contact lists, and calendars.

Push email allows over-the-air email delivery to the phone without any

interaction from the user. Nextel Mobile Email Enhanced works in tandem

with Microsoft Outlook, IBM Lotus Notes and most Internet email

accounts such as Earthlink and Yahoo, states the release.

Nextel already offers the BlackBerry 7520, which doubles as a phone,

but is now extending push e-mail to lower-end phones including the

Motorola i605, i355 and i275, according to a statement by Visto and

Nextel. 

"Nextel has opened up mobile email to a broad market with this new

product," said Brian Bogosian, chairman, president and CEO of Visto

Corporation. "Mobile Email Enhanced makes full-featured email

available to every customer that wants improved productivity. Visto Mobile

and ConstantSync technology enable Nextel to offer a powerful user

experience with quick and secure access whether retrieving email from a

corporate office or a personal account."

Tech world quotes ABI Research analyst Ken Hyers as saying, "Though

most users would have a hard time sending e-mail messages from a phone

with a standard 12-button phone keypad, being able to see e-mail on that

device would have benefits. The Visto-based service even has an edge over

the widely used BlackBerry technology, he said. "The mobile device

receives e-mail instantly, whereas a delay of three to five minutes is

typical on a BlackBerry. Though not all users care about that delay, there

are cases in which workers need information immediately."

Nextel Mobile Email Enhanced has been designed to satisfy the needs of

IT Managers who require a "behind the firewall solution" and the

small business owner for whom simple installation and ease of management

are critical. Small business users can quickly download and install the

Nextel Desktop Assistant without the need of an IT Department. Larger

businesses and enterprises should use the Visto Mobile Enterprise

Server (VMES) - Nextel is providing the server software at no charge to

lower the total cost of ownership.