Software extends mobile email to wide range of handsets.
Press Release Summary:
Open source push email product, Funambol v3 includes send, receive, and forward functions and allows users to open attachments, check email on and offline, and accept or decline meeting requests. Supporting end-to-end 128-bit SSL encryption, program provides over-the-air synchronization of calendars, to-do lists, contacts, and other personal information data. Server supports RIM BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows Mobile, SyncML-compliant phones, and any WAP-enabled phone.
Original Press Release:
Funambol Releases First Open Source Push Email Product for Deployment With Carriers and Enterprises
Funambol v3 Extends Mobile Email to the Widest Range of Handsets
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 7 /-- Funambol, the mobile open source software company, today announced the release of Funambol v3, the first open source push email product for carriers and enterprises. Funambol v3 allows customers to deploy this year's "killer app" -- push email -- to the widest range of mobile phones.
Funambol's push email capabilities include 'send,' 'receive' and 'forward' functions and allow users to open attachments, check email on and offline, and accept or decline meeting requests. Funambol v3 also provides standard over-the-air synchronization of calendars, to-do lists, contacts, and other Personal Information Management (PIM) data. The server supports RIM BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows Mobile, SyncML-compliant phones, and any WAP enabled phone.
Funambol v3 is commercial open source software that implements the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management/Device Synchronization (OMA DM/DS) standards, formerly known as SyncML. According to industry analyst data, more than 75 percent of new mobile handsets sold worldwide are SyncML compatible. Open source software allows developers to build mobile data applications with higher quality, better standards compliance and unprecedented device compatibility.
"Funambol v3 will allow us to better meet the needs of all our customers with branded PIM and push email services around Sync123, the leading mobile personal information management service in Asia," said Ray Espinosa, President, ePLDT -- a wholly owned subsidiary of the Philippines' largest carrier, PLDT. "Sync123 is essential to our plans of further expanding our mobile data services and provide for the ever-growing needs of our consumers."
Leading telecommunications consultancy firm Detecon recently reported that mobile email is the most popular mobile data service among consumers even though most carriers don't yet offer the service. In the enterprise, seventy-five percent of the global workforce will be mobile in 2006, according to Gartner Research, and mobile email is the "killer app" driving this forecast. Both the enterprise and consumer markets are demanding better access to mobile email, while developers are struggling to find effective ways to deliver compatible, high quality services. Funambol v3 removes today's barriers, such as hardware and software "lock-in," device testing limitations, and high cost structure, to make mobile email available on the majority of mobile phones.
"Open source software and standards will accelerate mobile email deployments, increase revenue opportunities for carriers and give enterprises more flexibility," said Fabrizio Capobianco, CEO of Funambol. "We believe that mobile email will quickly become a commodity, so open source is the natural approach to this market place. With Funambol v3, we deliver the benefits of open source software to our customers -- code where every line is scrutinized and tested and access to largest mobile QA group in the world."
Funambol v3 is the latest product release from Funambol and supports Exchange, Domino, IMAP and POP email servers, utilizes the email client pre-loaded on the mobile device or a WAP browser, and supports end-to-end 128-bit SSL encryption. Previous introductions included Funambol's Personal Information Management (PIM) Portal with functionality based on the OMA standards. The Portal supports Blackberry, Outlook, Palm, Windows Mobile, any OMA/SyncML or J2ME enabled device, and even iPods
Funambol v3 Pricing and Availability
Funambol products are based on open source technology and the beta version can be downloaded for evaluation now at www.funambol.com
Funambol uses the dual-licensing model common among commercial open source products, where the commercial version has additional features, broader platform support, intellectual property protections, commercial license terms, and available support.
Funambol v3 is available in Carrier and Enterprise editions, and its components can be licensed separately for ISV and OEM contracts. Funambol products are typically sold on an annual per-user basis, but other pricing models are used to meet customers' specific business needs.
About Funambol
Funambol is the mobile open source company. Funambol's Mobile Application Server offers "push" email, multimaster PIM synchronization, and management facilities for mobile devices. Funambol (formerly known as Sync4j) is an open source development platform for mobile applications that has been downloaded more than any other wireless middleware product -- 250,000 times. The commercial version has been deployed at wireless carriers, Fortune 100 enterprises, hardware OEMs/ODMs and ISVs including customers such as Computer Associates. Funambol is headquartered in Redwood City, California with a development center in Italy. See www.funambol.com.
