BlackBerry 'push e-mail' comes to local shores

SINGAPORE: You've been reading about the handheld device for years now, and now it's finally happening: The BlackBerry wireless platform is coming to Malaysia.

With it, professionals on the move can have their e-mail forwarded to them automatically, keeping them in the corporate loop.

This innovative solution, also known as “push e-mail,” is being jointly brought to Malaysians by Canadian wireless solution provider Research In Motion Ltd (RIM) and Maxis Communication Bhd.

The two companies last Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding that will by year-end give Maxis Mobile customers access to push e-mail, corporate data, Internet access and SMS (short message service) over Maxis' GSM and GPRS (general packet radio service) network.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM (www.rim.com) said that it had been working with Maxis for the past nine months to bring its award-winning Blackberry wireless platform to Malaysia.

“I think, for some time now, there has been pressure by mobile professionals to bring the push e-mail concept to Malaysia,” said Paul Osmond, director of RIM, Asia Pacific.

Since making its debut in the United States in 1999, the BlackBerry wireless platform has signed up more than 1.6 million subscribers, the company claimed.

The BlackBerry is best known for its unique feature that automatically sends e-mail to users, instead of having them periodically logging into their remote mailbox to retrieve messages.

However, some analysts say its immense popularity has been largely confined to the United States because Europeans and Asians have chosen SMS as the way to keep in touch, rather than e-mail.

Still, RIM said it was optimistic about growing its market share, especially in Asia Pacific.

“We're very excited to enter the Malaysian market. We’ve been (conducting tests) with Maxis for sometime now, and I believe it has some premier customers on its trial list,” Osmond told In.Tech on the sidelines of the recently concluded 3GSM World Congress Asia here earlier this week.

“Maxis is pleased to be associated with RIM, a leader in wireless communications,” said Edward Ying, Maxis chief operating officer.

“Part of our strategy is to provide mobile office solutions to our customers who require e-mail and Internet access anytime, anywhere -- RIM's solution can ensure that we are able to provide hassle-free convenience at an affordable price," he said in a statement.

When asked if RIM planned to offer the BlackBerry platform to other cellular operators in Malaysia, Osmond declined to comment.

However, he said RIM is always looking to work with as many cellular operators as possible to bring its push e-mail feature to mobile professionals.

“If you look at our presence in Asia Pacific, we’ve worked with more than one operator. For example, in Hong Kong and Singapore, we worked with two competing cellular providers," he said.

RIM reported strong second quarter revenues of US$310mil (RM1.18bil), up 15% from US$270mil (RM1.03bil) in the previous quarter.

The company also recently launched newer BlackBerry models in a bid to stave off growing competition from smartphone makers such as Handspring, XDA, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

The BlackBerry consists of integrated hardware, software and services, and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, end-to-end, wireless access to e-mail and other corporate data.

Its software integrates with Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino, with support for Novell GroupWise to follow later this year.