Sprint, Pacific DataVision take NextMail to CDMA
Sprint Nextel yesterday announced that its NextMail offering — powered by Pacific DataVision and previously available only on iDEN devices — also is available on all Sprint CDMA devices, including the new HTC EVO 4G.
Designed primarily for enterprises, NextMail lets mobile users instantaneously send a recorded voice message to as many as 50 e-mail addresses or to 50 mobile devices, each of which can be sent with the push of a button — “Direct Connect” on a Nextel device or “Send” on a Sprint or Nextel device. The messaging system also can include confirmation of receipt notification.
Such functionality is particularly beneficial to field workers that need to maintain communications with enterprise headquarters and others in an environment that is driven increasingly by e-mail and text messaging, said John Pescatore, CEO of Pacific DataVision.
“We help improve the efficiency of the work force,” Pescatore said, noting the return-on-investment that NextMail can provide to enterprises. “If you think about being able to make one or two more calls if you are a field tech — or, as a field nurse, see one or two more patients — because you don’t have to go back to the office … it becomes very powerful.”
Long available on Nextel devices, this is the first time NextMail has been available on Sprint CDMA devices, Pescatore said. While Pacific DataVision’s business arrangement is with Sprint Nextel for its iDEN and CDMA networks, the fundamental messaging service and platform could be adapted to networks using other technologies, as well, he said.
Available immediately, NextMail is available for $7.50 per month per user and NextMail Professional — a service that includes a location stamp, photo service and status mapping tools — is $19.99 per month per user.
