Always on GPRS on Pocket PC Phones? 2002 or 2003?

[sbrown23]

Question for the PPC PE 2003 users out there... specifically iMate/XDA2 users. Is the GPRS connection always on with these devices? I ask specifically because my company uses an app called OneBridge to push email to wireless devices. It has a LiveConnect feature that stays active and constantly receives mail as long as a network connection is active. If the GPRS connection does not stay active all the time, then I would not receive emails unless I manually checked (pull rather than push).

Can anyone comment on how the GPRS connection is maintained and if it is always on in WM 2003 PE? How about PPC PE 2002, is it any different? Thanks for the help!!!!


:)


BTW - I am thinking about either getting a T-Mobile PPC PE flashed with a WM 2003 ROM, or just sucking it up and shelling out for an iMate. But email is critical to my job.

[freitasm]

There's no such a thing as always on GPRS connection from the data terminal's point of view.

The radio is in constanct contact with the GSM network and plugged into the GPRS stream which is on top of the GSM. The data terminal (in this case the Pocket PC Phone Edition) has to piggyback into the stream and then you can use the connection.

It's more accurate to say "quick on" GPRS connection. In some devices there's a disconnect when it's powered off. Because Pocket PCs are not "off" but in sleep mode there was an update for some models of Phone Edition and Smartphone to keep the link to the GPRS stream always on.

Mind you there are three classes of GPRS devices, and the most common will allow only voice or data connection at any time, switching them automatically. Therefore if a call comes in, your GPRS connection should pause and resume later. This is a class B device. Class C devices require manual switch and Class A devices (non-existant) should have both connections at the same time.

Most of the solutions for push e-mail use a notification scheme. This is used on Windows Mobile 2003 and other solutions: the server will send a WAP or SMS notification to your mobile device and this will trigger a synchronisation, when the device will download the messages. This is how the always-on works on Smartphones 2003 with connections to ActiveSync on Exchange 2003 servers.