(Column) - Recently, we published an insider report that hinted on RIM’s decision to bundle the Blackberry service on Windows based devices. Well, it looks like the party is over for RIM as far as those devices are concerned, since Microsoft recently showcased DirectPush technology at 3GSM tradeshow. The company plans to allow networks to provide this functionality starting next month, which is a few years sooner than what RIM was hoping it would take Microsoft to do this.
Despite my undying love for Blackberry, it does have its drawbacks. Here are the implications. The first is the pitiable handsets that RIM is giving out. Microsoft’s solution, on the other hand, will work on Windows Mobile 5.0 devices with a simple update patch. Despite whatever RIM claims about its intuitive keyboard, I know from personal experience that if you continuously use it for two days, you’ll need to spray your thumbs with some serious muscle relaxant.
With Windows Mobile 5.0, there is no learning curve. Everyone’s been using Windows for years and know their way around the OS quite well. The other important thing favoring Microsoft is that most of the potential users who require their e-mail so consistently are sales people or executives who are constantly on the move. Such individuals use HTC (O2 Mini, Atom) devices, Nokia communicators or Palm handhelds. Two out of three devices here run on Windows Mobile, so straight away, Microsoft captures these two segments effortlessly. Of course, Nokia has a significant lead, but if it keeps making cellphones that can just about run the OS and a few applications, it will die out (in this segment) soon enough.
The second problem I have with BlackBerry is that the mail is un-editable. As in I can’t edit the attachments on it. Real world scenario: Your team sends you an important presentation for review. They need your feedback as soon as possible. If you need to make a few changes here and there, it makes sense for you to do it on your phone, rather than lugging and booting your notebook. It’s also possible that you are on waiting to be checked into a flight. If you use a Windows Mobile 5.0 phone, it will let you do that easily.
If this wasn’t enough, DPT will also push out your contacts and to-do lists from Outlook. This is a whole new way of synching and could in fact do away with any cables or Bluetooth methods that have been employed so far. Couple this with the fact that it’s a complete solution, which negates the need to buy middleware or additional servers, and yes, it seems Microsoft really does have something on its hands.
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