O2 offers Good email solutions directly to businesses

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O2 has teamed up with the Motorola Good Technology Group, the division formed through acquisition last year, to offer businesses a push email and corporate applications mobile solution that it claims will beef up security, enhance productivity and give end users the level of personalisation they demand.

The technology will enable IT departments to better control their mobile devices, according to O2, in addition to locking down certain features and functionality, which is very similar to the vision set out by Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer earlier this week when he unveiled details of next year's launch of the Microsoft System Centre Mobile Device Manager 2008.

The solution is compatible with Windows Mobile devices such as those made by Palm and Motorola - and will be made available on Motorola's Q9 handset when it launches on the O2 network next month - for organisations running Exchange or Domino at the back end.

"Customers can now come to O2 for a Good Technology solution and we will provide the devices and complete service wrap which simplifies things for the IT manager... We will integrate this solution into our whole devices roadmap," said Phil Ledward, head of marketing for O2's business data solutions arm, who added that the solution would be offered as a bundled proposition to customers but that pricing would be a matter for them to discuss with individual account managers.

Some O2 customers are already familiar with Good's solutions, but the partnership will see the company making use of the latest version of the technology - which will include the introduction of an RSS reader and enhanced inbox search functionality, scheduling and colleague availability features and the ability to re-attach email attachments in their native format - and offering it directly to commercial users - a first for operators in the UK, according to the mobile giant.

"We've tried to provide security, manageability and reliability for the IT professional, give users the ability to be more efficient and included productivity tools and tried to introduce an element of personalisation into the solution," said Richard Hudson, general manager of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the Motorola Good Technology Group.

"With O2's vision about data and our increasing focus on EMEA, this is going to be a very strategic partnership for us."

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