Symbian has licensed the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol for use in Symbian OS. The announcement follows Nokia’s revelation at 3GSM in February 2005 that it was licensing ActiveSync for its latest phones. Historically, Symbian has been seen as fierce competitor to Microsoft’s own mobile OS, but the need for a variety of synchronisation techniques has led the company to licence its rival’s technology in this area.
Under the terms of the agreement, Symbian will develop an Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol “plug-in” for the Symbian OS messaging architecture to enable Symbian OS licensees to include in their Symbian OS-based phones direct over-the-air (OTA) synchronisation capabilities for email, and other PIM data supported by Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.
Symbian will make the Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol plug-in available to all Symbian OS licensees which, when coupled with a separate standard distribution agreement with Microsoft, enables the licensees, at their discretion, to implement direct synchronisation capabilities with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 in their selected Symbian OS products.
The Microsoft protocol is one of a variety of sychronisation protocols Symbian supports. Other iterations include RIM’s Blackberry Connect as well as the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Data Synchronisation protocols.
“Developing Microsoft’s Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol plug-in for Symbian OS continues Symbian’s drive to offer the broadest possible choice of email and PIM solutions. This will help all Symbian OS licensees meet the needs of the enterprise market,” said Marit Doving, executive vice president, marketing, Symbian.
“By licensing the ActiveSync protocol and opening up this capability to Symbian OS licensees, Symbian and Microsoft together are significantly expanding the number of customers who can directly access their corporate e-mail and PIM data from wireless devices,” said Dave Thompson, corporate vp of the Exchange Server Product Group at Microsoft.