The Irresistible Rise of Mobile Email

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/3900.html' target='_blank'>http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/3900.html</a><br /><br /></div>infoSync has a short, but thought-provoking article, about mobile email.<br /><br />"Mobile e-mail, which typically also includes mobile access to calendars and contact information, will be the key driver of growth in mobile data services for businesses over the next five years, according to a new report from advisory group Analysys. In its new report, Mobile Data Solutions for Businesses: maximising revenue and take-up, Analysys Research predicts that around 40% of people with a business mobile phone (21 million Europeans) will use mobile e-mail in 2008, compared to less than 1% today. Over the same period, the annual mobile service revenue generated by email will increase from 49 million EUR in 2003 to 2.9 billion EUR in 2008."<br /><br />I'd be curious to hear about the numbers for North America, but in the meantime, I'm curious as to what percentage of our readers actively use mobile email, either with their cell phone, Pocket PC, or other device such as a Blackberry.

[darren]

I always use a spam killer and read the remaining emails..
On the Pocket PC, though, I can't filter emails... so I won't consider it. 8)

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I solved that problem by finding a host with Spam Assassin installed. I don't even see the spam messages unless I log in to my webmail where it's all stored in an IMAP folder.

Seriously, though, I live and breathe mobile e-mail. I have my PPC (which works beautifully now that I got that router thing straightened out), and my Nokia 3650 with both of my email accounts set up (work and home).

I even get in trouble at my family's house for spending so much time obsessing over my e-mail. Truth be told, I am addicted.

[ChristopherTD]

I use mine for email all the time with my cellphone or via a "heritage" 56K CF Modem!

Spam is not so much of a problem for me. you can set the standard Inbox to just download the header, and delete all the obvious spams, empty deleted items folder, and then Inbox deletes them on the server. 80% of my mail is spam, but I only get 30 or so messages a day so I can manage at the moment.

nPopw or the soon to be release @Mail 2 are alternatives to consider.

[freitasm]

You didn't give all the options! I use with my Pocket PC over wi-fi or GPRS (whichever is closer). Or sometimes when I don't have it with me (very unusual) I use my trusty Sony Ericsson P800.

We need another option then: I check my e-mails with whatever device I have handy... 8)

[freitasm]

I even get in trouble at my family's house for spending so much time obsessing over my e-mail. Truth be told, I am addicted.

Ah! When I go to bed at night I check my e-mails one last time on my h4155 connected to a Bluetooth LAN Access Point, just to make sure nothing new arrived in the last three minutes since I turned my desktop off :lol:

[arebelspy]

Non-stop with my XDA II and nPOPw.. now I just need push email.. maybe I should set up a MS2003 Exchange server.. ;)

-arebelspy

[dMores]

well it depends on what "use mobile email" means.

due to relatively high GPRS costs i don't check my mail every 5 minutes. besides, i have a powerbook with me most of the time.

but i do like to SEND the occasional email from my p900. if it's a photo i took and want to send to a non-MMS-enabled friend of mine, or a note to someone who doesn't have a cellphone (but they have email, strange huh), i like to be able to quickly email whatever whenever i want.

[that_kid]

80% of my e-mail is mobile e-mail. I have my 5555 setup to get my work e-mail and also I have it setup to get my e-mail from exchange 2k3 here at home. I don't even use the laptop my job gave me, everything is done via my ppc, vpn and wireless access. As far as spam goes I leave outlook open on my main pc and let the great spam filter in it do it's thing. The cost of exchange left no room for me to get a spam solution for it, not yet anyway.

[Cipr0]

I have gone from the dark side......Blackberry to Treo600....

My company runs Goodlink to support Push email. contacts, appointments......

I missed having an OS that could run other applications.....


The Treo 600 is a slick little device ( I do not care for Palm OS, but its better than a blackberry), integration is nice....and the push functions along with Exchange intergration is perfect....(1 time zone issue that i cant quite solve)

I hope goodlink will showup on a Pocket PC device soon. (Rumor is that Dell is working on one)

Cipro

[ppcsurfr]

Hmmm. I've been doing wireless email since late 1999... And now that would be something like about 4 years already...

Is it something new? Not really. Has it become more efficient? Definitely!

Has it become more affordable??? Not really... While GPRS may be faster than CSD on a mobile phone connection, paying per KB on a GPRS connection can sometimes be more expensive than CSD charges...

But can I live without being able to access my email wirelessly??? I don't think so...

Mabuhay!!!

Carlo

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I would tend to think most people who use GPRS connections to check their e-mail aren't paying per KB... If you're that big of a power user, an all-you-can-eat plan is a good and smart investment, and the pricing on them is really good.

[CTSLICK]

My PDA checks my 2 "most-protected" email accounts every 10 minutes pretty much all day long, either via Bluetooth/PC (the office), WiFi (home) or BT/Phone (everywhere else). When I say "most-protected" I mean email accounts that I give only to specific people...never used for any activities that normally lead to spam. That...so far...has kept the spam monster away.

Could I live without this? Sure. Do I want to? NO. The nice thing is that my PPC quietly goes about its business of checking for email. I can check it out when I have the time and ignore it when I have more important things to do.

[powder2000]

I check my email over wifi connection all the time and also sync with outlook over wifi. Does this count? I got the impression the poll was more for those who use a pop account or something similar.

[Janak Parekh]

You didn't give all the options! I use with my Pocket PC over wi-fi or GPRS (whichever is closer). Or sometimes when I don't have it with me (very unusual) I use my trusty Sony Ericsson P800.
Just pick the one you do most. 8) I didn't want this poll to have 10 different options...

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

I would tend to think most people who use GPRS connections to check their e-mail aren't paying per KB... If you're that big of a power user, an all-you-can-eat plan is a good and smart investment, and the pricing on them is really good.
Unfortunately, most of the world doesn't have flat-rate GPRS options, AFAICT. Go figure. :lol:

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

I check my email over wifi connection all the time and also sync with outlook over wifi. Does this count? I got the impression the poll was more for those who use a pop account or something similar.
Sure. It's not like this poll is intended to be a scientific study -- just to get a feel for what this community does. After all, we're not representative of the public at large.

--janak

[Jeff Rutledge]

While I do check my POP mail at home via WiFI, the vast majority of my mobile messaging is done with my Blackberry. I can't wait for the day when a PPC device can match the Blackberry's functionality, but we're not there yet unfortunately.

[Vincent M Ferrari]

Unfortunately, most of the world doesn't have flat-rate GPRS options, AFAICT. Go figure. :lol:

Hard to be a power user with your eyes on the meter... Jeez...

I didn't become obsessive about my e-mail until I had a lot of data to use. Not having it, I relegated myself to checking email whenever I could on a computer or on my WAP browser...

Maybe the numbers would get a bump if people had an all you can eat data plan?

[yslee]

Make that a CHEAP unlimited data plan, hehe. How much is it for you guys? here it's about US$56, and only 1 service provider has it.

[Birdman]

I would love to see my XDA (or some other connected PPC device) act like a Blackberry with email pushed to me on a regular basis.

As it is now, I am paying per kb but I am using Rogers Wireless Desktop which is a web based way of getting my exchange (work) email. Works very well beause it is allows me to see just the headings without downloading the entire email and burning through data.

[rmasinag]

or a note to someone who doesn't have a cellphone (but they have email, strange huh),

you'll find internet access much more freely now especially if you are a college student.....

That is why I still havea pager, thinking of one that recieves text messages on the web as an option (any suggestions?)

Back to topic...I use my PPC inbox at work mainly because I have a BT dongle there. I'm not using it at home due to the cost of cable modem :(

Not much high speed choices here in Hawai'i Nei :evil:

[Janak Parekh]

Make that a CHEAP unlimited data plan, hehe. How much is it for you guys? here it's about US$56, and only 1 service provider has it.
T-Mobile offers $19.95 for unlimited GPRS as an add-on to an existing voice plan, $29.95 without. Verizon is a bit more expensive: $44.95 with a voice plan, $49.95 without -- but they have much faster 1xRTT CDMA. Both appear cheaper than your choice. ;)

--janak

[drj]

SOON the new Imate (XDA 2) will have PUSH email. Look at the posting on clubimate


Click Here To Access Free 'Push-Enabled' Email For Your Device

Click Here To Access Free Downloads

Click Here Wirelessly Backup & Restore Your Device


club i-mate email

Coming soon, club i-mate members will be able to enjoy e-mail accounts which will be accessible from i-mate PocketPC Phone Edition and Smartphone OS devices running the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system.

This site will include the software and settings necessary to start using club i-mate email.

Please check back soon!

[yslee]

T-Mobile offers $19.95 for unlimited GPRS as an add-on to an existing voice plan, $29.95 without. Verizon is a bit more expensive: $44.95 with a voice plan, $49.95 without -- but they have much faster 1xRTT CDMA. Both appear cheaper than your choice. ;)

--janak

Very good price plans, I think I'll go to a corner and cry now. :cry:

[jimski]

I use my T68i to read business e-mail headers and text almost every day, and absolutely when I am away from my desk, even for 30 minutes or so. Business mail only amounts to 15-40 messages per day, so it is manageable. I would never think of wasting time or money to read the crap that comes through my AOL account.

If a message is long or I need to reply, I pull out my 5450 and pull the messages down via Bluetooth/GRPS. I don't want to try responding to an e-mail on my phone. Just too much work.

Everyone at my firm know that I really dislike phones and that e-mail is my prefered method for communication, any time of the day or night. E-mail is much less intrusive (I can control when to read and reply) that phones, so I try to reply promptly in order to promote the concept.

[ctmagnus]

E-mail is much less intrusive (I can control when to read and reply) that phones, so I try to reply promptly in order to promote the concept.

I concur. ;)

[Steve Jordan]

I have one of my little-used e-mail accounts send a forward to my cellphone, so I know a mail has come in (don't have to check so often). But my main e-mail account gets far too much mail, and spam filters from Earthlink aren't good enough to properly weed out the trash.
This is also why I haven't obsessed about setting up e-mail access on my handheld. The one I have, a Toshiba e330, can't do it easily anyway, if at all (although if there is a way, anyone feel free to tell me :wink: ). But even if it were easy, sorting through spam on my handheld (not to mention the escalating number of viruses being written for handhelds) would keep me away except in dire emergencies.