Optus to offer Exchange-based wireless e-mail

Optus plans to launch a new wireless e-mail service aimed at the business market, based on the i-mate K-Jam handset and Microsoft Exchange 2003.

The telco announced that, from April, it will offer a "push e-mail" service, similar to that based on the popular BlackBerry devices, that syndicates messages received by an Outlook 2003 mail server to the customer's handset.

"In providing both BlackBerry and now Windows Mobile solutions, Optus is able to offer customers choice in terms of devices and supported technology platforms," said Paul Kitchin, marketing director, Optus Business.

To use the service, customers would need an Exchange 2003 server with Service Pack 2, devices that run Windows Mobile v5, and an Optus rate plan, according to Optus.