Gmail push comes to HiPhone, Windows Mobile,OPhone

On Tuesday, Google expanded the over-the-air syncing capabilities in its Google Sync service to include Google’s email, but only for the iPhone and iPod Touch (version 3.0), and for Windows Mobile phones.

Google Sync began as a beta service to sync Google calendar items and contacts to iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 phones. Owners of iPhones, iPod Touches and Windows Mobile phones can now set it up to include Gmail messages as well.

The phones will receive Google Sync messages through their native email, calendar and address book apps. Depending on a user’s settings, their phone could vibrate and/or chime to let them know a new message has come in.

Note that Google Sync will not push visual notification boxes to iPhone and iPod Touch interfaces. For that, users will need third-party apps such as GPush for iPhone. Instead, it pushes email from the server to the phone, rather than pulls in a list of email messages, a request that the phone’s email client makes of the server.

BlackBerry and Nokia Symbian Series 60 users will not have access to pushed Gmail yet, but they can still sync calendar and contact events to the phone’s built-in address book and calendar.

To get started, visit the Google Sync website from your desktop or mobile browser. The step-by-step setup process is best navigated from a computer, and will require users to ultimately configure their phone to sync over the Microsoft Exchange Server.

Which Cell Phone Is Smartest for Business?

Many businesses depend on mobile phones that also browse the Web, send and receive e-mail, and use other applications. But how do you choose between not only BlackBerry and iPhone, but Google’s Android, Windows Mobile, Palm Pre and others?

Smartphones are big for small business. In fact, many mobile workers now depend on these all-in-one digital Swiss Army Knives that offer support for third-party applications, messaging, Web browsing, GPS navigation, media playback, and photo and video capture.

Oh, and they make calls, too.

But there are a growing number of different platforms on the market — including BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, Palm Pre and others — therefore deciding which one is best for your small or mid-sized business could be an overwhelming endeavor. So we turned to a couple of tech experts to discuss what a mobile worker should look for in a smartphone platform.

The basics

Smartphones are an increasingly popular choice for business use, but regardless which of which operating system you go with, the handset must meet a few key minimum requirements, says Scott Steinberg, publisher of Digital Trends.

“Battery life and wireless coverage are two big ones,” says Steinberg, who is based in Atlanta. “Because of all of its features and integrated wireless radios, smartphones can consume a lot of power, and the last thing you need is to be on the road or at a trade show and there’s only one bar left.”

As for coverage areas, which can greatly affect call quality and data speeds, Steinberg suggests to do your research by visiting the websites for carriers — such as Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint — and click on the map that shows coverage areas. “Many people assume the smartphone will work the same everywhere in the U.S., and elsewhere, but this is simply not the case,” he explains. “It’s also not a bad idea to talk to colleagues or friends on that network to hear first-hand about coverage, as the last thing you need is to be on the road and you can’t access your e-mail from client about a cancelled appointment.”

Ted Schadler, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, a Cambridge, Mass.-based technology research firm, says before deciding which smartphone to invest in, figure out what applications your business requires and if they’re supported by the platform. “The horizontal app is e-mail, of course, but after that you’ll need to list any other apps you’ll want to run,” says Schadler.  A small or mid-sized business “will also work out the cost per device, how many you need for your staff, the cost of the data plan, and any device management software or mobile middleware you might need.”

Consider being device agnostic

Schadler, who has just published a report entitled Technology Populism Fuels Mobile Collaboration: When IT Supports Personal Mobile Phones, Mobile Collaboration Ensues, says the trend is moving towards a “bring your own smartphone” practice. In a survey completed by more than 2,300 IT decision-makers in the U.S. and Europe, one in four are now supporting an employee’s personal mobile device — so long as the applications are platform-agnostic and meets the company’s security protocols. The gotta-have-it iPhone from Apple is the “big disruptor” for this paradigm shift, says Schadler.

Deciding which smartphone platform to go, however, might be dependent on the industry you’re in, adds Schadler. If you’re in regulated industry — such as health care, pharmaceutical, insurance, or financial services — you might have strict privacy requirements, such as protecting customer data, remote wiping of device if the smartphone is lost or stolen, and so on. “There are many, many different kinds of policies in these industries so you have to be careful about which phones you’re supporting to ensure they meet regulatory compliance,” says Schadler.

“If you want managed devices, you really only have one choice, which is BlackBerry,” adds Schadler, “as RIM supports more than 450 policies — but it’ll cost you a license fee per month, per user.” He adds, “Otherwise, Windows Mobile and iPhone are basically free if you’re running Exchange.”

Steinberg agrees with Schadler on the additional requirements for any smartphone consideration. Your priorities should be “security and privacy issues must be addressed, support for enterprise-level e-mail, and whether or not you easily sync your data with a PC,” he says. “And depending on what you need, access to the company’s Twitter or Facebook account while on the road might be important or GPS to find your way to a meeting or wireless or on-demand software purchases at an app store.”

Pros and cons

The following are a few thoughts on each of the major smartphone operating systems:

• BlackBerry

Pros: Reliable, fast and secure “push” e-mail; physical keyboard in most models; good battery life; supports multiple accounts.

Cons: Browser not the greatest; App World doesn’t offer great selection or intuitive interface.

• Windows Mobile

Pros: Supported by the broadest range of devices; Outlook and other Windows programs sync smoothly with a PC.

Cons: Interface and stability issues; fewer apps than most other smartphones.

• iPhone

Pros: Elegant and intuitive touch interface; more than 65,000 apps in App Store (many of which are free); great consumer device.

Cons: No physical keyboard is obstacle for many; battery life trails other smartphones; still no MMS support in U.S.

• Android

Pros: Powerful and versatile open-source operating system; seamless presentation and access of online Google apps; good user-interface.

Cons: Not a lot of supported devices or software; Android Market not as intuitive as Apple App Store.

• Palm webOS

Pros: Open-source operating system anyone can develop for; can support multiple apps open at once; offers both physical keyboard and touchscreen.

Cons: Unproven for business because newest OS; poor selection of software and only one device (Palm Pre).

Windows Mobile 6.5 heads to new phones

With a wide selection of smartphones now available utilising operating systems from the likes of Google and Apple, the latest from Microsoft may have its work cut out in terms of tempting back users.

However, the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 will look to improve upon the advances of the Android and iPhone packages when it is made available on a number of devices later this year.

One such handset that could also be available later in the year - and was showcased at the recent GSM Association’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - is the Toshiba TG01, which aims to make the most of the Microsoft system, which could allow the manufacturer to take on the industry heavyweights.

It has been argued that in the past mobile phones powered by Windows Mobile technology have had a tendency to be on the larger side, but this has been addressed with devices like the Dopod 858 Cell Phones and HTC Touch HD. However, the TG01 claims to be one of the most powerful handsets that has ever been available - and as such there could be a great deal to look forward to.

The TG01 boasts a 1GHz processor, as well as a 3D user interface and 4.1-inch screen, yet it seems that alongside the introduction of Windows Mobile 6.5, which was unveiled at the very same conference, some analysts have said this could put Toshiba’s new phone up their with the iPhone in terms of usability.

Last month HP, the company formerly known as Hewlett Packard, confirmed that it planned to support Microsoft’s new Windows Mobile operating system in a number of its future endeavours, stating that the reason for this was the vast amount of scope the 6.5 version had for wireless technologies, business productivity and personal messaging.

Susan Macke, vice-president of marketing for HP’s Handheld Global Business Unit, said that the company had been “working closely” with Microsoft in the past and this would continue with the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5. “HP continues to work toward developing smartphones that simplify the mobile experience and meet evolving customer needs,” she added.

Her comments were echoed by corporate vice-president of mobile communications business at Microsoft Todd Peters who said: “We’re excited HP will offer phones with Windows Mobile 6.5, which will help people access and personalise services and applications that can make a phone truly individual.”

On announcing the new system at the Mobile World Congress, the software company’s chief executive Steve Ballmer took the time to outline some of the key features people could expect from the new version of Windows Mobile and noted that with partnerships from HTC, LG and Orange, some new and interesting phones would soon be available that would benefit from attempts to make it more user-friendly, as well as ready for the next generation of mobile software and services.

“Windows phones bring together the best of the web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are,” he said. “We’re working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows phones that break down the barriers between people, information and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home.”

Some of these features include My Phone, which allows users to sync text messages, photos, videos and contacts, and Windows Marketplace for Mobile - which is looking like it could be the company’s own attempt at an Apple App Store. In other words, the resource would provide direct access to a number of direct-to-phone applications that would be for exclusive use with the 6.5 system.

With My Phone, a free application that will come with new Windows-enabled devices, users can back up contacts and other data to a password-protected internet resource, which means losing the phone is less of a problem and upgrading is kept as simple as possible when it comes to transferring information across to a new handset.

The Windows Marketplace service plans to offer a way for consumers to search, browse and shop for the widgets they need and will be accessible via a Live ID account. “The new marketplace will be included with all Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which will help consumers to easily find, install and experience those applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal,” Microsoft explains. It is estimated that there are already more than 20,000 applications ready for use with the system and will be online when the service goes live.

Users will also have a dashboard-style page where their most important information will be available. From here, new emails, messages and calls can be accessed as well as calendar appointments and a revised version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Mobile browser.

Microsoft’s partners have also been quick to unveil their intentions to embrace the new operating system, with networks such as Orange and manufacturers including LG and HTC stating their intentions. Orange has said that the introduction of Windows Mobile 6.5 will allow it to offer enhanced web browsing and a more personalised surfing experience. LG has said its upcoming GM7300 will also benefit from new features - like one-click email set up - that will fully utilise the platform. HTC has also noted that the Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 will be fully upgradeable to the software and will include the company’s Straight Talk technology, which combines a host of integrated e-mail, voice and speakerphone facilities.

Alfredo Patron, Microsoft’s Director of EMEA Mobility Marketing, concludes Windows Mobile 6.5 will “merge two worlds, bringing business space and consumer space in one”.