Of course, BlackBerry's get their push e-mail capabilities by adding RIM's Blackberry Enterprise Server to a corporate network. There are also several push solutions available for Windows Mobile, but they too require an additional server to mediate between a Microsoft Exchange mail server and a special mail client on the mobile device.

Of course, many organizations that run Exchange would rather not deploy non-Windows mobile devices (in the case of BlackBerry) or non-Outlook mail clients to users, and many would also prefer to avoid the (often considerable) costs associated with buying and maintaining an extra server.

In a development that should please users and IT folks alike, users of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices can now have their cake and eat it too—they can have their own version of the "Crackberry" without the need for any additional back-end e-mail infrastructure.

The stage was set with last year's Service Pack 2 for Exchange, but the recent release of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) – also known as AKU2 or the Direct Push client - lets organizations enable push e-mail for their Windows Mobile 5.0 devices. When an Exchange SP2 server is paired with a Windows Mobile device running MSFP, the server can automatically update the mobile device's Pocket Outlook application with not only e-mail, but other information like contact, calendar and task data as well.

To take push e-mail on Windows Mobile for a spin, we were provided a Verizon Wireless Palm Treo 700w that had the Messaging and Security Feature Pack installed, along with access to a hosted Microsoft Exchange account.

The push e-mail feature worked as advertised—e-mails to our account were sent down to the phone as they came into the account's Inbox without the need to (manually or automatically) check with the server. Similarly, changes or additions to the contacts and schedules made via Web access to the account appeared on the phone shortly thereafter.

If you're using your mobile device to access a corporate Exchange server you can now browse your organization's address book (Global Address List, or GAL in Exchange parlance) from across the network. It's also worth mentioning that using an MSFP-equipped device to access an Exchange server for push e-mail doesn't preclude you from also using it for additional mail accounts like conventional POP3.

How to Get It
Going forward MSFP will be included with new Windows Mobile-based devices, but if you already have a device the only way for you to get the Messaging and Security Feature Pack is via download.

It's available free of charge but getting your hands on it isn't as simple as downloading it from Microsoft's Web Site. Depending on your device you may need to obtain the update from your hardware OEM, wireless carrier, or from your organization's IT department.

And when a your carrier/smartphone vendor provides the update, sometimes things could go awry. When Verizon and Palm posted it for the Treo 700w, for example, they had to quickly take it down when some users ran into trouble during the installation process. The companies posted it again within a week, however.

Motorola, on the other hand, posted and pulled its software upgraded with push e-mail support for the Q smartphone within a couple of days. It turned out the patch was in beta and shouldn’t have been put up in the first place. Now the phone maker is warning users not to load the version that was previously up or any damage that might be caused to their devices wouldn't be covered under warranty.

A page on Microsoft's Web site contains links to various vendor sites where you can get the MSFP upgrade for specific devices.

Remember that since MSFP requires the back-end support of Microsoft Exchange, you can't take advantage of it unless your company runs uses that server or you obtain a hosted Exchange account through a service provider. Depending on your wireless service provider you may also need a special rate plan that provides an always-on data connection.