Microsoft Email Pushes Blackberry?

In a strategic development, Microsoft has tied-up with major cellular operators for a new breed of mobile phones that will allow users receive email when it hits servers instead of getting it when they synchronise with their servers.

Unlike the Blackberry and its peers who are way ahead in this game, phones running Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile operating system will receive emails "pushed" directly from the company server, sans the need for a separate mobile server or additional license payments.

Microsoft says that Direct Push technology added to Windows Mobile 5.0 gives customers faster access to all of its Office Outlook information. The new version communicates directly with Microsoft Exchange Server and Windows Small Business Server without the need for servers and other middleware.

Speculation is rife that Microsoft will most probably overtake RIM as the leading mobile email provider while RIM which has approximately 4.3 million Blackberry customers, has been sued for allegedly infringing patents belonging to NTP, a US technology company.