Sify to roll out mail2mobile service

Sify has launched mail2mobile service, through which mobile users can receive
their non-POP3 mails on their handsets as well. Currently, this facility is
offered by a few service providers like Airtel on the Blackberry handset alone,
for which Airtel charges around Rs 800 a month.

"Here the same services can be availed at Rs 130 a month and customers can
access this service on any handset. In case a customer's handset does not
support an e-mail client, then he can get all new e-mails on his official
account as an SMS," informed Anil Pant, VP-Channel Sales, Enterprise Solutions,
Sify Technologies. This service however has not been extended as a sales
proposition to the company's IT channel as yet.

Sify claims that the service can be used on any IMAP protocol and will work
on any handset device in the market. It will shortly have a global launch for
mail2mobile, which will support 1.5 billion devices all over the world, across
GSM and CMDA networks.

An end-user can avail this service by paying Rs 700 as a one-time activation
charge and then choosing from different tiers of payment. Customers, who avail
the service for up to 500 users, can pay Rs 130 per subscriber, while those who
opt for more between 501 to 1,000 end point connections can pay Rs 120 monthly.
There is also a free service (four months duration and more) on buying one of
these packs.

"All we need to activate this service is customer's mobile number, which will
receive this service. Then our server will be configured with their mail server,
which will be bound with that of the service provider with security protocols
built in, so that the receiver can read and send e-mails securely," Pant added.