Microsoft has announced version 3.5 of its Hosted Messaging and Collaboration solution, which allows service providers to equip small and mid-sized businesses with enterprise-class e-mail services, mobile device data access, team Web sites and online presence information.

The latest update brings new mobile synchronization capabilities, a variety of security enhancements and new tools that lessen management time and extend customer acquisition opportunities for hosting partners. The platform is targeted at companies with between 10 and 250 users, and delivered through hosting providers. Version 3.5 provides business-class communication tools on a variety of computing mediums. End users can now benefit from Microsoft messaging solutions through Windows Mobile-based phones and PDAs running Windows Mobile 5.0. With direct push technology, users will now have up-to-the minute access to e-mail, calendar appointments and task notifications. New mobile security features include the ability to wipe data from devices that have been lost or stolen and set up automated rules to help prevent access by unauthorized users.

Service providers can help simplify application deployment, accelerate customer acquisition and improve customer satisfaction through a complete, end-to-end messaging and collaboration suite. The pre-engineered solution includes deployment automation tools and scripts, code samples and documented procedures and best practices that help allow for rapid time to market. Management and monitoring tools ease administration of the solution and help provide superior service levels to end users.

The new capabilities should help smaller business overcome some of the traditional fears they might have had about adopting mobile e-mail access and other mobile IT applications, said Morgan Cole, senior product manager at Microsoft's Communications Sector. "Some customers might have had a fear of what protections there would be with taking that step, and service providers wanted to be sure to provide a level of security," he said. "These enhancements give the service provider a cost-effective way of reaching the small and medium business customer.”

Telus Mobility, GroupSpark and BT are among Microsoft's existing customers for the platform, and Cole said the company expects that the latest version of the hosted messaging and collaboration solution (version 3.0 came out in January 2005) will be well-timed to increased market availability of Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices, as well as increased interest from carriers in the small and medium-sized business market.

"A lot of SMBs have more mobile workers at this point than you might think," Cole said. "Many service providers also are ready to add to their data offerings. They can make this part of a bundle."

“For a communications company like Telus, the Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration is a good way to simultaneously offer connectivity and hosted services,” said Robert Tasker, vice president of product marketing at Telus Business Solutions, in a statement. “It allows us to combine our expertise in hosting and services management with Microsoft applications so we can offer the business market a complete managed solutions portfolio.”

Microsoft also today announced the Microsoft Hosting Program, a free offering that provides hosting companies with technical tools and resources to help them deploy and manage Microsoft products, including free download access to both the Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting and the Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration. In addition, participating organizations become eligible for the Services Provider License Agreement, a licensing program that enables service providers to license Microsoft products on a monthly basis to offer services and hosted applications to their end customers.