BlackBerry rival emerges
vnunet.com
By Daniel Robinson [03-09-2002]
Alternative requires no extra software to be installed on corporate mail servers
European systems integrator 1eEurope is offering an alternative to the BlackBerry mobile email service provided by Vodafone and O2. OpenHand, available now, supports PDAs or laptops as client devices and gives staff real-time access to corporate email, calendar and contact information, according to 1eEurope.
"We have developed OpenHand to allow business users immediate access to mission-critical information at a competitive price," said Graham Higginson, managing director of 1eEurope UK.
The company said its offering is more flexible than rival services as it does not tie customers to a dedicated client, and the software can be bought outright rather than paid for through a monthly subscription charge - unlike BlackBerry services.
OpenHand can link to a firm's Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes groupware server and supports Windows laptops as clients, as well as Palm and Pocket PC handhelds, and some Symbian devices, such as the Nokia 9210. Client devices typically connect to the service using a mobile phone link. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or standard GSM networks are supported.
Unlike the BlackBerry services, OpenHand offers direct access to email accounts on the company server. "It works as a front-end to your email system, just like Outlook, and has full public folder support," said Paul Shepard, business technology consultant at 1eEurope. When a user is connected they will see a screen of email headers on their client device, but the actual message is only downloaded when the user opens it. 1eEurope said this offers better security, as no information is stored on the client device itself.
A key advantage for IT managers is that OpenHand requires no extra software to be installed on the corporate mail server. Neither does it need to run on a dedicated server - it can easily be installed on an existing system that is not fully utilised, according to Shepard. "It's a case of 15 minutes and you're up and running," he added.
OpenHand costs £7,500 for the server software, plus £150 per user licence.
Higginson said this compared favourably with the ongoing monthly charge payable for BlackBerry. However, Vodafone and O2 include the network connection in their monthly charges; OpenHand buyers must budget for mobile operator data charges on top of the purchase cost. Higginson said customers should expect to pay about £7.50 per user per month for a GPRS connection.
The OpenHand software runs under Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 2. |
