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By Rob Garretson
Microsoft and Nokia have launched unified communications software designed to connect smartphones directly to enterprise communications systems to streamline mobile collaboration, the first application from the alliance the companies announced last August.
The new software, Microsoft Communicator Mobile for Nokia, appears to take direct aim at enterprise mobility leader Research In Motion. It integrates e-mail and other personal information available through Microsoft Exchange directly into the embedded applications of Nokia Symbian-based E-series smartphones.
Communicator Mobile incorporates the names and status information of coworkers into the contacts application of the Nokia E72 and Nokia E52, allowing users to see their colleagues' availability and click to communicate with them via instant message, text, e-mail or voice call. It enables users to update their own presence, start and join instant messaging sessions, and begin calls directly from the contact card on the phone, according to the companies.
“Our alliance with Nokia aims to bring the Office productivity experience to the millions of people using Nokia smartphones around the world," Microsoft general manager Kirt Debique said in a statement, adding that the software release is just the beginning. "With the arrival of Communicator Mobile for Nokia today, we have a great start to fulfilling our joint vision."
“This application really provides a much more efficient way to work with others, as you can see if someone is busy or available and the best way to start a conversation with them,” said Nokia VP Ukko Lappalainen. “It also meets all of the requirements for the enterprise: cost-effective to implement, secure, familiar and reliable.”
The new application, available today for download from Nokia’s Ovi Store, adds to the work Nokia is already doing in optimizing direct access to e-mail and other personal information with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, the companies said. They plan to deliver Communicator Mobile for Nokia pre-installed on select Nokia smartphones in the future and plan to support additional devices, including the recently announced Nokia E5.
Nokia continues to maintain a substantial lead as the world’s largest supplier of cell phones, with nearly 108 million shipped in the first quarter of this year, according to research firm IDC. Yet RIM, on the strength of its Blackberry smartphone’s dominance in the enterprise, recently overtook Motorola and Sony Ericsson to climb into the No. 3 spot behind Samsung, with a 3.6 percent global market share.
Communicator Mobile appears aimed squarely at RIM’s Blackberry Messenger software, with its ability to initiate and log IM conversations, as well as its robust Exchange integration and enterprise administration capabilities.
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