Carriers to offer free upgrades for Direct Push

Several mobile operators plan to offer free upgrades for Microsoft’s Direct Push e-mail technology for mobile phones, the Redmond, Washington, company said in a statement released Sunday.

Cingular Wireless, Orange, T-Mobile International, and Vodafone Group will offer free upgrades to the Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) for their Windows Mobile 5.0 users, Microsoft said. The upgrade will add support for the Microsoft’s Direct Push technology and include improvements to device management and security functions, it said.

Hardware vendors Palm and i-mate also plan to offer free MSFP upgrades, Microsoft said.

Direct Push is Microsoft’s answer to Research In Motion’s successful BlackBerry offering, which allows users to receive e-mails on a handheld device. Windows Mobile devices with Direct Push technology can connect with Microsoft Exchange Server and Windows Small Business Server to access e-mails and other information available in Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft said.

In addition to announcing carrier support for Direct Push, Microsoft said several handset makers have announced new devices that support the technology. These devices include Hewlett-Packard’s iPaq hw6900, the Giga-Byte Communications’ g-Smart handset, Asustek Computer’s Asus P305 smartphone, and Fujitsu Siemens Computers’ FS Pocket Loox.

Taiwan’s High Tech Computer (HTC) also announced a new line of Windows Mobile-based devices that support Direct Push. These handsets will be offered by wireless operators, including T-Mobile, Microsoft said.

Direct Push and devices that support the technology will be available during the second quarter, it said.