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Cingular is now offering its e-mail and phone service, XpressMail with BlackBerry, at retail. The company said the aim is to better deliver the solution to small and medium-size businesses. Cingular first introduced XpressMail with BlackBerry service for enterprises back in February.

Cingular's XpressMail with BlackBerry is based on Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry 6280 and BlackBerry 7280 wireless handhelds. These tri-band (1900/1800/850 MHz) smartphones combine voice features, including conference calling and international roaming, and data services such as text messaging, e-mail access, calendars and to-do lists.

Because BlackBerry handhelds maintain a constant connection to Cingular's wireless network, users don't have to "dial up" to get their e-mail, as it is pushed directly to the device. Cingular customers using BlackBerry can view e-mail attachments and wirelessly reconcile e-mail messages between their PCs and BlackBerry handhelds among other features.

The retail offering of BlackBerry includes the BlackBerry Web Client, a Internet-based solution (no server software required) that enables those who use Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino at the office to access their corporate e-mail. BlackBerry Web Client also supports up to 10 Internet Service Provider (ISP) e-mail accounts from a single handheld.

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), 14 percent of small and medium businesses in the U.S. intend to purchase a smartphone that handles both voice and e-mail services this year. IDC also reports that small and medium sized businesses prefer to buy their telecommunications products from retail outlets.

Pricing for Cingular's BlackBerry service begins at $29.99 per month for three MB of e-mail storage to unlimited e-mail for $44.99, for those with a Cingular voice plan. There are also e-mail only plans. Pricing for the BlackBerry 6280 starts at $249 and the BlackBerry 7280 at $349, both with two-year contracts.

Good News

Back in February, Cingular announced that customers using XpressMail GoodLink Edition for corporate email can now take advantage of the new G100 wireless handheld and the GoodInfo wireless information system for remotely accessing Web-enabled data sources, both from Good Technology.

Good Technology and RIM have sued and counter sued each other over the past year over their always-on wireless email technologies. They recently buried the hatchet, however. Though not much is known about the deal, other than that it takes the form of a settlement and a licensing agreement. The companies have entered a royalty-bearing license agreement whereby RIM will receive a lump sum settlement during the first quarter of fiscal 2005 as well as ongoing quarterly royalties.