Microsoft Wins Big With Symbian's Sync Capitulation

As cell phones converge with PDAs, users demand e-mail support. And e-mail support inthe corporate world lergely means Microsoft's Exchange. With ActiveSync, Microsoft SmartPhones can forward e-mail -- including MS Office attachments -- to mobile users.

Capitulating to Microsoft, Symbian, a phone OS software company with a huge market share, is licensing the ActiveSync component that synchronizes the phones with connected PCs and with servers over wireless networks.

This was an astute move by Symbian, as smart phones are useful devices. One of Symbian's largest customers, Nokia, also recently licened the same technology from Microsoft. My take is that Symbian helps assure its long-term player status in a changing phone market, albeit with monthly checks now going to Microsoft in Redmond, WA.

This deal is also good for consumers. With ActiveSync support, there is more than e-mail. For instance, Outlook contact information is seamlessly transferred to the phone. Anyone who has bought a new phone (or lost one) has had the ugly problem of thumb-entering contact information. The widespread use of ActiveSync technology will mean the important data on the phone is backed up routinely.

Peter S. Kastner