Microsoft to Exchange with Sony-Ericsson

Microsoft has inked a licensing arrangement with mobile maker Sony-Ericsson to enable the company's smartphones to connect to Microsoft Exchange servers.

Microsoft announced today that it has licensed Exchange ActiveSync to mobile phone maker Sony-Ericsson, enabling the company’s forthcoming P990 and M600 smartphones to synchronize with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.

The deal is another step in Microsoft’s larger move into the mobile handset marketplace, and is a benefit to Sony-Ericsson in its efforts to appeal to corporate and enterprise customers. Large organizations increasingly need their mobile users to connect reliably and security with “home base” systems standardized on Microsoft’s enterprise email, contact, calendar, and scheduling systems.

“The powerful combination of our recently announced P990 and M600 phones together with the Exchange ActiveSync protocol, allows customers to easily manage their Exchange e-mail, calendar and contacts on the move,” said Brendan Press, head of Enterprise Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “Sony Ericsson is committed to working with industry partners such as Microsoft to provide empowering mobile solutions for business customers.”

“Organizations today require a more secure wireless solution for their mobile workers that is easy to manage and supported by a variety of devices,” said Jeff Ressler, Microsoft’s director of Product Management and Planning for Exchange Server. “Sony Ericsson’s enterprise mobile devices will provide a cost-effective solution, offering easy access to their Exchange Server data.”