Europe First for Microsoft Push

Unstrung writes that "Orange Business Services, the enterprise arm of cellular operator Orange UK will launch Microsoft’s push email update for Windows Mobile 5.0 next, but analysts suggest that U.S. carriers will not be far behind with the much anticipated update." According to the article, Orange "will launch the service with the Orange Mobile Manager, a tool that enables IT departments to update current Windows Mobile 5.0 devices without manually configuring each one."

It is expected that in the U.S. "the Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) update required will be mainly issued by the carriers rather than the device vendors themselves."

Cingular Wireless LLC , Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S - message board), T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless all offer Microsoft-based smartphones to subscribers.

Todd Kort at Gartner said, “Chances are good that a range of devices will offer MSFP within a few days of each other whenever MSFP is officially launched,. [But] there is no telling who will be first to market with MSFP or when.”

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney pointed out that "Those devices support MSFP but that is not a carrier email solution for Exchange. It is just the device side."

Kort added, "The Orange offering is undoubtedly just a rebranded version of a product from Visto, Intellisync, or Seven."