Wynd Communications Corp. is pursuing the wireless data market with an integrated messaging and information service for the mobile professional called WyndMail.
San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based Wynd is a subsidiary of Call America. The 13-year-old firm provides telecommunications services including paging, Integrated Services Digital Networks, Internet connectivity, personal phone numbers and voice mail, as well as other communications and messaging services.
The WyndMail gateway service combines wireless access to Internet electronic mail with special features to help subscribers gain more control of their messaging-and more control of their messaging costs, according to the company.
“We’ve tried to put as much control into the hands of the end-user as possible,” said Wynd Communications Vice President Dan Luis. “We’re driving down cost for the end-user by offering filtering, dial-up service, auto forwarding and compression.”
The message filtering feature can automatically divert large messages to the WyndMail computer server where they can be retrieved by the subscriber using a dial-up feature that allows a standard fax modem to dial in on wired phone lines when wireless coverage or a wireless modem is not available, the company said.
Message auto-forwarding enables users to forward their e-mail to a stationary computer or another on-line address. With automatic message compression, the company said it can achieve nearly 35 percent message compression to cut transmission costs.
Luis said the company also is developing a “snap shot” feature that will screen messages using information contained in the message header-information like who is sending the message, what the message is about and the size of the message.
“We’re trying to put together a package of mobile communications management tools-data, follow-me services, e-mail, fax store-and-forward,” he said.
WyndMail currently runs on Ram Mobile Data L.P.’s packet data network but Luis said the company also is researching narrowband personal communications services and Cellular Digital Packet Data applications.
Wynd said its service works on multiple platforms including Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 3.1 and Windows 95, Geoworks’ GEOS as well as the operating systems for Apple Computer Inc.’s Macintosh computer and Newton personal digital assistant.
The company recently made WyndMail available for Hewlett-Packard Co.’s OmniGo 100 handheld organizer via a specially developed PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) Type II card. Since WyndMail is fully integrated into OnmiGo’s GEOS operating system, users can access the messaging service by tapping an icon and can also access the organizer’s address book to send messages, the company said.
WyndMail also is available for the new version of the Newton 2.0 operating system for the Apple MessagePad 120 via the AllPoints Wireless PC Card from Megahertz-the mobile communications division of U.S. Robotics.
Coupling WyndMail with the PC Card will “satisfy the previously unfulfilled communications’ needs of many professionals using a variety of platforms and hardware,” said Luis.
The company is offering the WyndMail service for a $49 activation fee plus $49 per month for up to 50 messages.
