News

Spot the difference: Wireless Blackberry vs Goodlink

It looks like a BlackBerry; and it does what Blackberry does; but the GoodLink hand-held wireless pager is actually a corporate, wireless messaging system software package, available even before the hand-held device is approved.

After excited hyping in USA Today, Good Technology has broken cover and announced its GoodLink hand-held; but its software is already being used by rival BlackBerry users. And it hasn't even received FCC approval yet.

"And if I were RIM, I'd be ringing my lawyers," said one industry insider this morning, trying to spot differences between the GoodLink hand-held and the BlackBerry product.

Like BlackBerry, the GoodLink hand-held runs - or will run, if it is approved - on the Mobitex packet data network in North America.

And unless or until Good Technology reveals plans for a GSM-based version like RIM's European BlackBerry, in North America it will stay since the Mobitex network in Europe uses different frequencies from the spectrum it has in the USA.

However, there is a key difference. BlackBerry is pretty much a device. GoodLink "is an end-to-end wireless corporate messaging system that features GoodLink Server software, GoodLink Service and GoodLink Applications handheld software," says Good. It provides mobile workers with a "continuously synchronized connection to Microsoft Exchange Server-based data so they can access corporate email, contacts, calendar, notes and tasks when they are away from their desktops. In addition, it enables users to view email attachments in Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, HTML, PDF and RTF file formats as a secure, integrated part of the system," says the official press announcement

The corporation has announced that twenty companies, "including Transatlantic Reinsurance, Bechtel Enterprises, Thomson Financial, Perot Systems, VeriSign, Inc., Silicon Valley Bank, Electronic Arts and E.piphany," have already deployed GoodLink. But this is just the software; plus the subscription to US-wide wireless service on the Cingular network - Mobitex version- and applications software "for a variety of devices, including the RIM 950TM, the RIM 957TM and the new GoodTM G100 wireless handhelds" ... when they ship.

Availability is still vague on the GoodLink devices, as is price. "The GoodLink wireless corporate messaging system is available immediately for RIM handhelds and is scheduled for availability on Good handhelds this summer," is about as far as Good will go, for now.

Pricing for GoodLink Server is $3,000 plus $50 per seat with an 18 percent annual support contract. Monthly GoodLink Service is $44.99. GoodInfo and the Good G100 wireless handheld "are scheduled for availability this summer, subject to Federal Communications Commission approval, with pricing to be announced at that time," it adds coyly.

For more information, email the sales department.