New Funambol Open Source Software Improves Push Email on Mobiles

Funambol, a developer of open source software, announced the release of Funambol v6, a new version that improves open source email, contacts and calendar management on mobile devices. Funambol v6 enables mobile carriers to offer a low-cost push email solution that allows consumers to access Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL Mail and other popular POP/IMAP email services. It includes a new portal that automates over-the-air provisioning of mobile devices, a new Java ME push email client and enhanced mass deployment capabilities.

"Carriers see a huge opportunity to offer push email for the mass market but they have not had a viable solution," said Fabrizio Capobianco, CEO of Funambol. "With Funambol v6, carriers have an easy-to-use push email solution that works on consumer devices with the features and price point that the mass market wants."

The new Funambol Portal is a web-based application that automates over-the-air configuration of mobile devices. The portal has a "quick add" function that makes it easy for users to get their Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL and other email on their handsets. To set up a device for email, users only need to enter their mobile number into the portal and the portal sends an SMS message to the phone. Funambol provides standard email functionality, such as read, delete, reply, forward, etc. and new functionality, such as integration with the phone's address book. Funambol can synchronize the address book with a user's favorite contacts from any source, eliminating the need to copy, remember and type email addresses.

With verision 6, Funambol broadens its device compatibility by introducing the world's first open source Java ME push email client, called Funambol Email JAM (Java Apps for Mobility). It is built on a new open source Java ME client framework that makes it quick and easy to build new mobile data applications. Funambol Email JAM provides push email and PIM sync functionality and lets users access popular consumer email accounts.

"The Funambol community has enabled users to access a wide range of email systems," said Hal Steger, Funambol VP Marketing. "With our new open source Java ME push email client, they can now help make push email a reality for everyone. Our message to the community is 'Let's JAM!'"