Helio

Licensing Exchange ActiveSync Helps to Further Distinguish Mobile Innovator

Helio provides some of the most comprehensive and innovative mobile devices and services on the U.S. market. In March 2006, the company licensed the Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® protocol from Microsoft. This was facilitated by the Microsoft Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing group. After licensing this technology, Helio created its Mail for Microsoft Exchange solution, which its members can download for use on their Helio mobile devices to synchronize their business e-mail, contacts, and calendar data from Microsoft Exchange Server.

Business Needs

We believe that licensing Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft will play a key role in helping us to continue to innovate and to make the absolute best messaging and e-mail solution on the market.  Doug Britt Vice President of Service Management Helio

Wireless pioneer Helio provides advanced services for consumers who have mobile at the center of their lives, with exclusive high-end devices and smart pricing on a nationwide high-speed 3rd Generation (3G) network. The company's “All-In” plans include: unlimited text, picture, and video messaging; unlimited mobile Internet; e-mail access with all of today's leading providers; and groundbreaking applications such as interactive MySpace, YouTube, and many Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled services. Helio, based in Los Angeles, California, is a joint venture between Internet service provider EarthLink and South Korean carrier SK Telecom. The company has 500 employees.

In August 2005, the company became interested in licensing Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync technology from Microsoft by working with the Microsoft Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing group. The IP Licensing group consists of a Technology Licensing team, which licenses component technologies, research, protocols, standards, and file formats, and an IP Ventures program, which spins out a wide range of technologies to entrepreneurs and start-ups. Exchange ActiveSync is a communication protocol that provides mobile, “over-the-air” access to e-mail messages, schedules, contacts, task lists, and other Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox data.

“We were bringing to market our first full dual-slide keyboard device, the Helio Ocean,” says Doug Britt, Vice President of Service Management at Helio. “This was already a groundbreaking messaging and integration solution—but with some of the most active mobile e-mail users in the world, we wanted to extend that. We knew that customers would also want access to their work inboxes. We wanted to give them a comprehensive solution with access to Microsoft Exchange Server from their corporate network, and, strategically, we wanted to tap into the great embedded base of Exchange Server users.” 

Solution

In September 2005, Helio began networking with the Microsoft IP Licensing group. By August 2006, the company had signed an agreement to license the Exchange ActiveSync protocol. Helio used the protocol to create Mail for Microsoft Exchange, which it released in July 2007 after just 9 months in development.

The IP Licensing group provided a significant amount of support through the product development and release process. Says Britt, “From the initial deal discussions through solution deployment, the support we received from the IP Licensing group was instrumental in our success. They handled the contracting exquisitely and were there every step of the way—from clarifying the licensing process, to technical evaluation, to giving feedback on development priorities and details. They even helped us informally with functionality feedback and testing, taking more time than they were required to. This helped us to accelerate and focus our development and was a critical part of our success.”

Customers can use Mail for Microsoft Exchange to remotely synchronize and access business e-mail, contacts, and calendar data from their corporate server computers running Exchange Server. Ocean users can wirelessly download the application to their device, and, after a brief setup, can send and receive e-mail, view and manage calendar appointments, and access their contacts and corporate directories. Helio members then have Mail for Microsoft Exchange accessible right next to all of their personal e-mail in Ocean’s Ultimate Inbox messaging solution.

Benefits

By licensing Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft, Helio has gained the following benefits:

Creation of Mail for Microsoft Exchange

Mail for Microsoft Exchange provides a low-cost way for Helio members to gain access to Exchange Server from their corporate network. With no expensive additional infrastructure requirements for consumers or employers, says Britt, “Mail for Microsoft Exchange is a great solution for Helio members. Helio believes in the power of the solution to attract a growing number of consumers who want their mobile devices to provide access to both personal and work e-mail.” The company’s target audience, says Britt, is “consumers who are wireless data savvy and who want access to our incredible set of personal, text, and instant messaging, as well as traditional personal e-mail. They're now also demanding similar access to Exchange Server from their corporate network through the device of their choice. So licensing Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft, facilitated by the Microsoft IP Licensing group has been strategically very important to our company.”

Powerful revenue potential

The company currently offers a free 60-day trial of the product, after which users pay a U.S.$9.99 monthly subscription fee. “So far, we have had more than 10,000 downloads,” says Britt. “We believe that licensing the Exchange ActiveSync protocol from Microsoft facilitated by the Microsoft IP Licensing group has significantly boosted our potential for increased member acquisition and ARPU [average revenue per user].”

Continued innovation

Soon, Helio will reach those users who don’t use full keyboard devices, when it offers the product for download on standard-key feature phones. “We are looking forward to Mail for Microsoft Exchange being available to even more Helio members,” says Britt.

The company will continue to expand the Mail for Microsoft Exchange application as Exchange Server technology evolves. “We will continue to add functionality that we feel will be beneficial to our customers,” says Britt. “Because it is a downloadable product, we have a great advantage in being able to make updates instantly available. We believe that licensing Exchange ActiveSync from the IP Licensing group will play a key role in helping us to continue to innovate and to make the absolute best messaging and e-mail solution on the market.” 

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies

Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing group

The Microsoft Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing group consists of: a Technology Licensing team, which licenses component technologies, research, protocols, standards, and file formats; and an IP Ventures program, which spins out a wide range of technologies to entrepreneurs and start-ups. For more information, go to:
www.microsoft.com/ip

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2008