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To: Johnny Canuck who wrote (43052)	2/13/2006 12:18:40 PM
From: Johnny Canuck	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 68020

Microsoft sends a message to RIM Paper reports the software giant will unveil mobile e-mail and other offerings to compete with BlackBerry. February 13, 2006: 7:18 AM EST NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Microsoft Corp. plans to unveil several devices Monday as well as offers from cell phone-service providers as it aims at the lucrative mobile e-mail market now dominated by Research in Motion's BlackBerry device, according to a published report. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Microsoft (Research) will introduce four devices to be shipped with its new "push" e-mail function built in. Microsoft has not been able to cheaply and easily offer push e-mail, which has a message show up as soon as it is received. That has given Research in Motion (Research), which offers push e-mail on the BlackBerry, a competitive advantage. The Journal reports that Microsoft's new devices are to be manufactured by cell phone and computer makers, and include Hewlett-Packard (Research) new hand-held computer called the iPAQ hw6900. In addition, the paper reports several wireless service providers are launching services to allow customers to take advantage of Microsoft's push e-mail service, including Vodafone Group (Research) and Cingular Wireless, which BellSouth (Research) owns jointly with AT&T (Research). The paper said Microsoft hopes to attract customers to its mobile e-mail service by offering a lower price, particularly for corporate clients already using Microsoft's Exchange Server 2003 software for managing e-mail accounts. But analysts told the Journal that while they expect Microsoft to rapidly gain market share in the mobile e-mail sector, they don't necessarily expect it to catch up with RIM anytime soon. Microsoft still has "some issues in the functionality they can offer," Ben Wood, an analyst at technology research firm Gartner, told the Journal. "RIM's solution is richer in terms of some of the security and management features." Even without the new competitive challenge from Microsoft, RIM has been under the gun as it battles a lawsuit from U.S. patent holding company NTP that could impose an injunction shutting down most U.S. sales and service of BlackBerry. RIM said last week it has an alternative technology to keep its BlackBerry devices running in the event of a court-ordered shutdown.