Vodafone announced this week its selection of messaging provider Visto's ConstantSync push e-mail platform to deliver e-mail, contacts and calendar information in real-time to subscribers' handsets.

Targeted primarily to enterprise customers, the Visto platform promises IT managers easy setup, end-to-end AES encryption and an optimized network architecture that requires only 20% of the bandwidth of SyncML or IMAP-based solutions. The software also works across all operating systems.

Visto offers three versions of push e-mail: Enterprise, Desktop Redirector (for users preferring to use their own mobile equipment at work) and ISP (for sole traders or small business).

"We offer the ability for wireless operators to brand our messaging solution as their own, and create service packages that suit the requirements of their individual user segments," said Visto's Vice President of Marketing Sanjay Kamble.

Push e-mail services are now available from Vodafone's German, Greek, Italian, Spanish, French and Finnish subsidiaries, with additional markets launching the service over the remainder of 2005.