14 DAY TRIAL // USA Mobility announced an agreement with Onset Technology to provide a paging solution for BlackBerry users. The new service, called PageSync, will be based on Onset Technology's METAmessage Paging software. USA Mobility plans to launch the service in the first quarter of 2008.
PageSync is designed to replicate the behaviour of a real pager. Whenever a new message is received, the application opens a pop-up box on the device's screen to alert the user. BlackBerry owners will benefit from the same paging experience they had with a real pager, having access to familiar features such as special pager alerts, reminder alerts until a page is read, as well as confirmation of message delivery. The PageSync service also allows users to receive pages from multiple sources, identify the source of an incoming page, track message delivery (dates and times), send longer messages in alternative formats such as rich-text and receive pages even when email and other communication servers are down.
An important feature of PageSync is that it allows users to provide only their pager number, maintaining the privacy of their phone number and email address. As a result, the person sending the message is not aware that they have actually sent a page to a user with a BlackBerry smartphone. The new service provides users with the advantages of both a BlackBerry and a pager in a single device and allows them to retain their personal pager number which they may have had for many years.
"Our exclusive agreement with Onset, which combines the expertise of a leading wireless applications developer with the nation's leading paging carrier, should greatly benefit those customers who want to retain the simplicity and reliability of paging in a single multi-functional wireless device", said Vincent D. Kelly, president and CEO of USA Mobility. "In particular, PageSync will help us meet the growing wireless communications needs of our core customer segments, including healthcare, government services, large enterprise and first responders."