Helio Ocean grabs MS Exchange, Office support
updated 11:15 am EDT, Wed July 25, 2007
Helio Ocean MS Exchange
Helio today revealed a new update for its popular Ocean phone that adds support for Exchange networks and Office files, allowing the normally entertainment-oriented device to double as a smartphone for mobile workers. The update adds full ActiveSync support and lets Helio's subscribers automatically pull calendars, contacts, and e-mail from the network. The included file viewer also promises to open many of the attachments that find their way into work e-mail, such as Excel, Word, PDF, and PowerPoint files.
Both Exchange and the viewer will be completely free during a 60-day beta period, when they can be downloaded directly to the Ocean. File viewing will remain free for any user of the phone, though Exchange will ultimately require a $10 monthly subscription fee for those who already have Helio's All-In unlimited data phone plan. No mention has been made of either feature extending to the Drift or the Heat.
