AIS and Nokia offer low-fee e-mail package
Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) has teamed up with Nokia to offer a low-fee package of instant wireless e-mail access on Nokia newest-model business phone as part of its efforts to expand the mobile-phone e-mail market.
AIS strategic planning and lab manager Pratthana Leelapanang said the affordable package would enable a greater number of corporate executives and individual entrepreneurs to try the service. With the service, users' handsets or handheld computers can promptly receive e-mail sent to their e-mail addresses, wherever they are. The package with Microsoft ActiveSync costs Bt99 per 5 megabytes per month of received data, while with Blackberry Connect the fee is Bt299. The price of the new Nokia model E61 is Bt16,490. In contrast, Pratthana said the average cost of the Microsoft ActiveSync package is Bt399 per 5 megabytes and the Blackberry package Bt499. AIS vice president for enterprise marketing and solution development Yip Hon Mun said he believed that company executives wanted to keep in touch with their mail while they were away from their office, but many were hesitant to hook up with such services, due to the high cost involved. While there are currently only 2,000 users of AIS's instant wireless e-mail access, he said that number was expected to double this year. "This kind of service has a good take-off, but the market needs a catalyst," said Yip.
Sirivish Toomgum The Nation
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