Software helps deliver push email to mass market.
Press Release Summary:
Funambol v6 enables mobile carriers and service providers to offer push email solution that lets mass market consumers access Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and other email services. It includes portal that automates over-the-air provisioning of mobile devices and also allows customer service reps to support users via real-time management of their account. Software features open source Java ME push email client for commodity handsets and capabilities to ease mass deployments.
Original Press Release:
New Funambol Open Source Software Improves Push Email, Contacts and Calendars for Everyone
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 22 /- Funambol, the mobile open source software company, today announced the general availability of Funambol v6, which improves open source push email, contacts and calendar for everyone. Funambol v6 enables mobile carriers and service providers to offer a low-cost push email solution that lets mass market consumers access Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL and other popular email services. It includes a new portal that automates over-the-air (OTA) provisioning of mobile devices, a new open source Java ME push email client for commodity handsets, and capabilities to ease mass deployments.
"Carriers see a huge opportunity to offer push email for the mass market but they have not had a viable solution," said Fabrizio Capobianco, Funambol CEO. "With Funambol v6, carriers have an easy-to-use push email solution that works on consumer devices with the features and price point that the mass market wants."
The new Funambol Portal provides a one-step signup process for consumers, automates OTA provisioning of mobile devices, and has a "quick add" function that makes it easy for users to get their Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL and other email on their mobile. Users get a personal home page to manage contacts, calendars and mobile phones. As a "white label" solution, the portal can be readily customized for the needs of mobile carriers and service providers.
The portal also allows customer service reps to support users via real- time management of every aspect of their account, from phones and email settings to OTA configuration of devices and viewing user sync performance. Funambol v6 has also been enhanced to integrate with the system and network monitoring tools used by mobile carriers, making it easier to manage mass deployments.
"There is a tremendous unmet need for consumer mobile email for wireless operators and with Funambol, they finally have a resource to tap into this opportunity," said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., vice president and chief analyst, Mobile & Wireless, Frost & Sullivan. "RIM, Nokia, Motorola and Microsoft will continue to battle it out for the enterprise, but Funambol has become an early leader in wireless email for consumers."
Broadest Device Coverage
Funambol is the mobile open source project based on open standards, enabling it to provide the broadest device compatibility of any mobile email provider. This is key for delivering push email to the mass market where it must work on billions of devices. With v6, Funambol broadens its device compatibility even further by introducing the world's first open source Java ME push email client, called Funambol Email JAM (for Java Apps for Mobility). It is built on a new open source Java ME client framework that makes it quick and easy to build new mobile data applications.
Funambol Email JAM provides push email & PIM sync functionality and lets users access popular consumer email accounts. It is initially available for the many tens of millions of Motorola RAZR and Nokia Series 60 mobile devices.
"The Funambol community has enabled users to access a wide range of email systems," said Hal Steger, Funambol VP Marketing. "With our new open source Java ME push email client, they can now help make push email a reality for everyone. Our message to the community is 'Let's JAM!'"
Editions and Availability
Most of the Funambol v6 enhancements are in the open source Community Edition, which is generally available (GA) and can now be downloaded from www.funambol.com/. Capabilities designed for mobile operators, such as the new portal, are in the commercial Carrier Edition, which will be GA within 30 days.
About Funambol
Funambol is the mobile open source company and is the leading provider of open source push email and PIM sync for consumers. Funambol is supported by a global community representing more than 1,000,000 downloads and 10,000 contributors in more than 200 countries. The commercial version of Funambol's software has been deployed at wireless operators, Fortune 100 enterprises, hardware OEMs/ODMs and ISVs including customers such as Earthlink and Computer Associates. Funambol is headquartered in Redwood City, California with a development center in Italy. See www.funambol.com/.
Source: Funambol
Web site: http://www.funambol.com/
