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In Smartphone Shakeup, Microsoft Exchange Heads to Symbian

Time: 00:00 EST/05:00 GMT | News Source: E-Mail | Posted By: Chris Hedlund

Symbian competes directly with -- and to date has largely outdistanced -- Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS for supremacy in the rapidly growing smartphone market. This deal helps Microsoft's Exchange Server business gain access to vast numbers of mobile device users, but also gives Symbian access to a functionality it lacked.

In a deal that links rivals in the mobile operating system space, Symbian said it will work with Microsoft to enable hand-held devices using its operating system to work with the popular Outlook e-mail program. The licensing deal will enable UK-based Symbian-loaded hand-helds to read e-mail and receive other data from Microsoft's Exchange Server, one of the most widely used software programs to manage messaging environments in enterprises. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Symbian Executive Vice President for Marketing Marit Doving said the software link would "help all Symbian OS licensees meet the needs of the enterprise market."