SINGAPORE : E-mail on the go for busy executives used to be the
domain of large corporations; now, small and medium enterprises and
just about anyone else can have it as well.
SingTel is its launching its BlackBerry Internet service targetted
at SMEs and retail users next month.
The service operates on SingTel's GPRS data network to deliver
e-mail automatically to users of the BlackBerry handheld.
They can access their e-mail messages from servers like Microsoft
Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and POP3-enabled ISP accounts.
The BlackBerry handheld that SingTel is selling also functions as a
quad-band mobile phone and personal organiser, and offers wireless
Internet access capabilities.
Mr Paul Kitchin, SingTel's vice president (consumer marketing),
said that e-mail is one of the most preferred communications tools
around today.
Increasingly, the demand is for access to e-mail, even when a user
is away from his office or home PC.
"Most SMEs here often outsource their IT functions and they might
not have the space or resources to put in an additional server to
integrate with their corporate e-mail and have these pushed
wirelessly to them. BlackBerry Internet Service from SingTel is
thus a safe, efficient and convenient way for them to manage their
e-mail on the go," Mr Kitchin said.
According to a recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit,
e-mail is is the preferred mode of communication for conducting
business.
A total of 84 percent of the survey respondents said that e-mail is
the application they prefer when traveling on business. - CNA
