Symbian licenses Exchange Server protocol

By Steve Malone

Posted on 23 Mar 2005 at 11:16

Symbian, the software licensing company behind the world's most popular operating system for mobile phones, has signed a deal with arch rival Microsoft to licence the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol for use in the Symbian OS.

The deal will enable Symbian to create an Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol plug-in for the Symbian OS messaging architecture. The plug-in will allow mobile phones running the Symbian OS to sync wirelessly with email, calendar, contacts and other personal information management (PIM) data on networks running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.

Mobile phone manufacturers that use the Symbian OS will now be able build handsets which sync directly with Exchange Server. While Symbian has been able for some time to sync email via RIM's BlackBerry Connect and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Data Synchronization protocol, Exchange Server compatibility has become increasingly important for large corporations who want to equip their workforces with phones which can sync with the servers at the office.

Although some have seen the deal as something of a climbdown for Symbian, it makes sense for both parties. While Microsoft markets its own Windows Mobile operating system for phones, it is well behind Symbian. The Symbian OS has over half the overall market of mobile OS device shipments with Microsoft around a quarter. On that basis Microsoft needs access to Symbian's market share as much as Symbian needs Microsoft.

The deal will also be seen as the latest evidence of a rapprochement between Microsoft and Nokia, the world's biggest handset manufacturer, which owns a majority stake in Symbian. Recently the two companies shook hands on a truce over rival DRM systems for mobiles and declared that the two companies were willing to work together to promote interoperability.

The biggest losers are likely to be Palm and RIM who will see their chance of building an unchallenged bridgehead in the corporate market dented by Symbian's deal with Microsoft. Certainly, the market feels that way. RIM's shares fell on the news on the Nasdaq by $2.43, down to $79.71.