Telstra first with major BlackBerry challenger

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 13 July 2006 09:03

Your IT - Home IT

The Good and BlackBerry services are closely comparable when the BlackBerry service is delivered to a BlackBerry handheld, and although RIM also offers BlackBerry software to run on a range of handheld devices, Austin claimed that it lacked the full functionality of the BlackBerry handheld. "It is not an enterprise class offering. It does not have the same set of functionality as the BlackBerry handheld. It is a really dumbed-down version. It does not do over the air management and there is no contact synchronisation."

The Good Mobility Suite comprises three distinct applications: Good Mobile Messaging, Good Mobile Intranet and Good Mobile Defense. Good Mobile Intranet provides two-way wireless synchronisation of email, calendar, contacts, notes/journals, tasks/to-dos. Good Mobile Intranet provides access to corporate applications that have a web browser interface. Good Mobile Defense provides security for information stored on the handset in the form of encryption (transmitted data is encrypted in all modules), remote handset lockdown and remote handset application control.

Telstra is selling the server software for the complete three module suite for $6,326 and handset licences for $2,693 for bundles of 10. A Good Mobile Messaging Starter Pack containing only the messaging module costs $2,755 for the server software with clients costing $965 in bundles of 10.

Monthly usage charges range from $89.95 with a handheld on a 24 month contract to $54.95 for SIM only access without a contract. There are no volume related charges for access to corporate data. All prices are GST inclusive. Austin said that prices were very similar to those charged by Telstra for its BlackBerry services.

Good Mobility Suite will be available through Telstra sales professionals and enterprise data specialists and the Telstra Shop network.

Good Technology is a five year old privately held company based in the USA. Austin said it has to date focused its efforts on the North American market where it has some 8000 enterprise customers and distribution agreements with three of the major cellulr operators: Cingular, Sprint Nextel and Verizon. Like Telstra, all also offer the BlackBerry service.