Nov/Dec 2005

Accessing email on the move is no longer the preserve of high-powered sales executives, it seems. Increasingly, mobile email applications are sold as an alternative to SMS text messaging for routine tasks. More mobile devices can now receive email via Internet Mail Access Protocol, and costs are said to be comparable to mobile data.

It is to capitalise on this opportunity that Icelandic company OpenHand has just released version 4 of its Enterprise mobile email application, which is said to have been designed to provide greater security and greater functionality. Users can access email from a variety of mobile devices including smartphones and PDAs, as well as from email-dedicated devices such as BlackBerry handhelds.

The OpenHand server also provides real-time access to diary, contracts and public folder documents, while a feature called Snapshot allows users to work offline if necessary. Connection to the server is kept inside the company's firewall, and no data is stored on the device unless permitted by the server. There is support for secure authentication including RSA SecurID.

OpenHand is a "pull" email service; the data is only downloaded to the device on request. The company says this saves devices becoming clogged up with data, but does rely on the user accessing the email.