Internet Solutions (IS), one of the largest converged communications services providers in the country, has announced the IS Mercury corporate e-mail service to provide mobile executives with a cost-effective and simple wireless solution that works on almost any handheld device.
Jointly developed by LayerOne and IS, the mobile e-mail and calendar solution, which uses `push` technology, allows corporate users to send and receive e-mail and calendar updates to and from their mobile devices at a fraction of the competitive price. Currently, any handheld device using Palm, Symbian or Windows Pocket PC can use IS Mercury. Support for BlackBerry devices will also be launched this year.
The IS Mercury service is an ASP platform that allows clients to access their e-mail and PIM service with little or no capital outlay or management. A low monthly cost is all that is required for corporate users to send and receive up to date e-mail and PIM information from their device.
"The monthly cost for this service is as low as R99 per month. In comparison to other services currently available in the market, there is a substantial difference in terms of capital costs and cost of ownership," says Richard Vester, general manager of IS Mobile Solutions. "We believe that IS Mercury will capture the cost-conscious mid to lower end of the market and still compete aggressively at the top end of the market where it has already enjoyed a lot of success."
Additionally, the IS team has been testing IS Mercury on a range of devices and has found it to be considerably faster in sending e-mails and other notices.
"Mercury is nearly 10 times faster than similar devices and services," adds Vester. "We have been doing proof of concepts for a number of corporates and IS Mercury is impressive."
"It has become clear that most corporate companies in SA have a range of existing non-BlackBerry devices as well as users who wish to continue using Palm or Windows Pocket PC phones," says Vester. "These users now want to receive email and other information and IS provides platforms to support all these devices."
IS will also offer the E-TEN M500 Pocket PC Phone in various packages to suit corporate budgets.
"The entry of the BlackBerry into SA has alerted the technology-hungry community to the benefits of full mobility and we are receiving requests daily from our corporate customers to provide integration into their networks. We do urge them to perform proof of concept before investing in any new technology and these devices are no exception. They are a tremendous asset for the mobile user but like any new solution should be approached from a business perspective. Our account managers are fully informed as to the available solutions and able to advise on total cost of ownership (TCO)," concludes Vester.
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Internet Solutions (IS) has transformed its business model and become a leading converged communications service provider in the country.
The business was founded on the principle of developing a robust infrastructure in order for corporates to conduct e-business. Over the past decade IS has established itself as a leader in this space, attracting over 80% of SA`s top businesses as clients.
During its 10-year life span, IS has evolved and grown its service offerings. Today, the company is the leading hosting service provider and security service provider in SA, as well as having significant market share in the virtual private network (VPN) and application service provider (ASP) space.
Internet Solutions, with an Empowerdex BBB rating, has earned an impressive collection of accolades, including eight First National Bank "Most Admired" awards, two Financial Mail Best Company to Work For awards, a place in the Top Unlisted Company Awards and first place in the ISP category for ComputerWeek Strategist`s Best of Breed IT Awards, 2004.
The company partners with major players such as Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, BT and AT&T, and in 2002 was certified as a Cisco Managed Security Service Provider, the first and only company outside of the US to be awarded this accolade. IS has recently been appointed as a certified BalckBerry integrator by Research in Motion.
For more, visit us at www.is.co.za.
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