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Press Release:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 30, 2009 — Funambol, the leading provider of open source mobile cloud sync and push email, today introduced the world’s first open source mobile cloud sync solution for mVoIP. The solution lets mVoIP users sync contacts from a variety of sources, including mobile phones, email systems, personal computers and social networks. Its contact syncing enables users to call more people and increases mVoIP utilization. The solution’s basis on open source allows it to be fully customized, in contrast to proprietary solutions.

mVoIP enables users to conduct Skype-like voice calls on cell phones using wifi and other non-cellular networks. A recent Visiongain report says that mVoIP will be a game changer and offers significant business opportunities for mobile operators and others in the wireless industry.

A challenge with mVoIP is that users start with an empty address book which curtails their usage because they lack the contact info for people they want to call, such as their email address, phone number or mVoIP user ID. Most mVoIP services are unable to sync contact info from cell phones or other places. Funambol enables mVoIP to sync contacts from many sources via the Internet cloud, automatically populating the user’s mVoIP address book. When contact data is updated anywhere, the changes propagate to the user’s address book, allowing them to continue reaching people when their contact info changes. Funambol’s solution for mVoIP is an extension of its mobile cloud sync software that makes it easy to keep data and content on cell phones in sync with other sources.

The Funambol mVoIP cloud sync solution is based on open source which provides several benefits. As mVoIP is an emerging technology, it is important that providers be able to rapidly adjust their service for trends and market conditions. Open source’s code availability offers full control, which differs from proprietary vendor APIs that permit limited customization. Open source also provides the broadest device compatibility and a global developer community that helps adapt the software for the latest wireless handsets. The Funambol solution also includes an AJAX portal that keeps contact info in sync across many sources via the cloud. This makes it convenient for users to use a web browser to add, change or remove address book info, rather than doing this on a mobile phone.

“Several of our customers are mVoIP providers that sync user address books with email systems and social networks”, said Fabrizio Capobianco, Funambol CEO. “They selected Funambol because open source lets them fully customize the solution to support their needs and target devices”.

The Funambol open source mobile cloud sync solution for mVoIP is immediately available.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Funambol provides easy-to-use push email and mobile sync between billions
of smart & feature phones, the Internet cloud and popular desktop apps.
Their open source MobileWe software works with a large number of webmail systems, including Yahoo! Mail, AOL Mail, Gmail and Hotmail, as well as work email via POP/IMAP and Funambol community projects for enterprise messaging.
It supports syncing with popular desktop apps, including Outlook and Thunderbird. Funambol also provides the broadest mobile device compatibility, supporting two billion phones and counting. MobileWe performs push email as well as syncs contacts, calendars, tasks, notes and soon additional content such as photos and much more.

And at CTIA, Funambol debuts their new Ajax powered MobileWe portal.

Mobile cloud sync is rapidly gaining momentum, as witnessed by the introduction of Apple MobileMe, Google Sync, Nokia Ovi Sync and Microsoft My Phone. Funambol v8 MobileWe is the only open source cloud sync and push email solution that can be rapidly branded, customized and integrated into customers’ infrastructure. In addition to the AJAX portal, the software provides enhanced clients for several smartphones, including BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Mobile and Android. It enables PIM sync for hundreds of new SyncML phones and lets users easily sync rich content such as photos.

“Cloud sync is red hot, and everyone in the mobile ecosystem needs a solution to grow user loyalty and increase revenue,” said Fabrizio Capobianco, Funambol CEO. “Funambol v8 MobileWe, based on open source, is as simple as ‘just add water’. It enables device makers, carriers, portals, ISPs and ISVs to rapidly deploy a branded service, which can be hosted by Funambol or internally implemented.”

Funambol MobileWe supports billions of phones, including smartphones such as Apple iPhone, BlackBerry Storm and Google Android. It syncs and shares contacts, calendars, email, pictures, and more, via the Internet cloud, and popular desktop apps, such as Outlook, and webmail, including Gmail, AOL Mail, Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail.
read full press release here.

Review which mobile phone supports the features you need to get the most out of your cell phone.

For more information, please visit http://www.funambol.com. You can follow Funambol on Twitter at http://twitter.com/funambol.

Popularity: 10% [?]