Microsoft has raised the curtain on its Windows Mobile 5.0 platform, but despite early cheers from mobile-application developers,
business users may not be quite as enthusiastic.
Push e-mail, a key component that corporate users were waiting for from Microsoft, is still missing.
Microsoft declined an interview for this article, but a company representative did respond via e-mail. “Windows Mobile 5.0
will not include ‘push e-mail’ at RTM [release to manufacturing],” the e-mail read. “In the coming months we will make an
announcement about push functionality.”
David Hayden, a principal analyst at MobileWeek, called the lack of push capability a major problem.
“Even though what is offered is an intelligent pull feature, the enterprise wants a push solution,” Hayden said.
Hayden noted a number of issues with pull: Users have to pay for each SMS (Short Message Service) message that alerts them
to an e-mail; it is not real time; and it is a bigger drain on the battery as it continually pings the network.
Ken Dulaney, a senior mobile analyst at Gartner, said push e-mail capability will not happen until Microsoft ships the next
service pack for Exchange 2003. “There will be a number of changes [coming in Exchange] to make up for the weakness of the
[Windows Mobile] product,” Dulaney said.
Some developers are pleased with the new version. Tony Meadow, of Bear River Associates, said Microsoft will rein in the numerous
OSes and offer a single mobile platform.
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