14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft's online synchronization service for Windows Mobile users seems to have finally gone live. The service is called My Phone, and it resembles the syncing functionality of MobileMe, yet it is a mobile-only service offering no more than 200MB of remote storage. The new service is targeted mainly at the consumer area and provides about the same options as the Exchange ActiveSync does for businesses.
The main difference between My Phone and Exchange ActiveSync resides in the fact that the latter was available for consumers for an additional service payment, while the former is meant to change this. At the same time, My Phone will not provide a backup option for emails, although consumers will be able to synchronize photos and other files besides calendar and contacts, a features not present with the business software.
My Phone users will be offered the possibility to access a website to see their personal information and also make changes there, which will be seen on the smartphone as soon as the first synchronization is performed. On the other hand, unlike Exchange ActiveSync, the changes will only sync once a day, and not immediately.
According to the Redmond software company, “Microsoft My Phone syncs information on your mobile phone to a storage space on a web site hosted by Microsoft. If your phone is lost or stolen, or if you upgrade to a new phone, you can easily restore the contacts, calendar appointments, photos, and other information that you stored on My Phone to a compatible new or replacement phone. Most phones that run the Windows Mobile 6 operating system are compatible with My Phone service.”
The company also says that “Microsoft My Phone enables you to view and manage phone information by using a web browser. In your web account, you can add, edit, and delete contacts and calendar appointments, and the changes will appear on your phone the next time that you sync. Share photos with friends and family Microsoft My Phone makes it easy to view photos on your computer that were taken with your camera phone. From your web account, you can save photos to your computer or can e-mail them to family and friends.“
Microsoft announces that the service will be provided to users for free, although the transfer of data when using it will be charged by the carrier according to the customer's data plan. For the time being, Microsoft My Phone is not functional, but more info on the service can be found on the company's site.