| After talking to customers, partners, and prospects, | | | | entrants have forced existing manufacturers to |
| the recessionary period has redefined what | | | | reduce their prices. Even Apple continues to drop |
| customers want in an email server. In the recent | | | | their price for iPhones. |
| years, the buzz words were collaboration and unified | | | | The challenge to any business and email server |
| messaging. Even though these continue to drive how | | | | companies is to support the different devices and |
| email server companies design their products, | | | | wireless software that are in the market place. As |
| customers just want to be able to get their email | | | | the wireless products have matured, multiple versions |
| and reduce their operational expenses. | | | | of the software and hardware have made it |
| The feedback that we have received is that in this | | | | extremely challenging to stay abreast of the |
| tough economy, the only function that customers are | | | | products and support the new software. Many |
| concerned about is getting and sending email. | | | | companies have created policies to support a specific |
| Because of this, they are willing to settle for free | | | | device and software. For email server companies, |
| email services like Gmail. They are also concerned | | | | partnering with software companies that specialize in |
| about security with the ever increasing spam and | | | | providing integration with mobile devices has reduced |
| virus attacks. However, at this time, advanced | | | | their expenses and development time. |
| collaboration features are not their priority. The most | | | | Industry experts are predicting that there will be |
| surprising finding is that customers will continue to | | | | more consolidation in wireless email software leaving |
| invest in purchasing mobile devices where they can | | | | only a few players to dominate the market place. If |
| get their email remotely; in other words, wireless | | | | so, it would greatly simplify the complexities and |
| e-mail is growing. | | | | costs of supporting wireless software. |
| As evidenced by the record sales at Apple for | | | | What customers want from wireless email: |
| iPhones, mobile devices continue to grow and | | | | Customers want to be able to access their corporate |
| accelerate. While companies like Nokia and Motorola | | | | email and keep the master copy on their email |
| have abandoned the wireless email software market | | | | server. They want to be able to read, delete, and |
| to focus on their core competency, RIM continues to | | | | change the email and have the change synced back |
| accelerate and dominate this market with Microsoft | | | | to their server. A secure connection from their mobile |
| and Apple closing the gap and gaining speed. | | | | device to their data to safeguard their data is a |
| The market for wireless e-mail products has been | | | | must, and also, a secure log-in where the users can |
| available for many years and every email server | | | | access their email. They want a consistent interface |
| company provides a method to get their email on | | | | to access their email no matter what the device. |
| mobile devices. RIM revolutionized the market with | | | | "Nice to have" features are to be able to get push |
| their Blackberry devices. Since then, the price for | | | | email and access to their corporate email addresses. |
| mobile devices has dropped significantly as new | | | | |