Berggi offers mobile email to regular handsets

A SMALL startup company, Berggi, based out of Houston but with offices in Madrid, Spain reckons it can take on the likes of RIM's Blackberry with its combined email and IM (Instant Messaging) software.

Berggi says it is targeting consumers and small businesses with its email for mobile client software. The US site should go live today (November 23rd), followed by its Spanish counterpart the next day.

Rather than being entirely browser based, the Berggi client runs on the handset itself. The promotional blurb says it will run on ordinary handsets rather than just smartphones. It doesn't say whether or not the client is actually Java based but the INQ suspects it is.

Where's the catch? Customers have to pay $9.99 per month to take advantage of the service. The advantage is that you can change (or lose) handsets and your data will still be on Berggi's servers.

The benefits which Berggi's software include the ability to download email messages from multiple mailboxes as well as accessing most of the major IM systems - all from the same user interface.

Berggi even claims that 'text' messages sent between its own customers are 'free'. The software will also cope with regular text messages between phones on different networks.

The biggest difference between Berggi and its big competitors is that Berggi doesn't intend to sell through operators but is going direct to handset owners.

The INQ is unsure how long it will take before the email IPR lawyers will start knocking on Berggi's doors. µ

L'INQ
Berggi