Microsoft, Telstra team up on business mobile app

Microsoft and Telstra have combined to offer a mobile messaging and fleet management application for Windows Mobile smartphones.

The Microsoft Mobile Enterprise Solution (MMES) will be sold through Telstra and cover push e-mail and data plans with Windows Mobile smartphones and helpdesk support.

Executive director of Telstra product management, Ross Fielding, said the solution has been designed to “make customers' lives easier”.

"Small and medium businesses will benefit from access to mobile ActiveSync e-mail [and] calendar and contacts through Microsoft Exchange without having to purchase a full management layer,” Fielding said.

“Larger business and government customers will be able to take advantage of the advanced System Center Mobile Device Manager management and VPN option, providing their IT departments with a new level of control over their mobile phone fleet.”

The Microsoft Mobile Email Plan starts at $39.95 per month and includes ActiveSync e-mail, calendar and contacts and 100 megabytes of data and phone fleet management.

The Microsoft Mobile Services Plan (MMSP) features System Center Mobile Device Manager management and VPN capabilities from $49.95 per month.

Both services use Telstra's Next G mobile broadband network.

Microsoft Australia's communications sector director Kevin Brough said the new plans will provide Telstra business customers with a mobile e-mail option that maximises investments in existing Microsoft software.

"With the solution, mobile e-mail traffic is delivered by the company's own Microsoft Exchange e-mail server using Telstra's Next G network," Brough said.

"The System Center Mobile Device Manager option will provide IT departments with control over their mobile phone fleet. If, for example, a company wants to bar its employees from downloading pictures or music into their Windows Mobile smartphones [it] can be easily disabled remotely."

The two companies have recently partnered on SaaS and Windows Mobile product and services.

The Exchange and System Center Mobile Device Manager software and licences, are not available as part of the offer.

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