The Funambol core project is a free and open source mobile synchronization server that provides push email, address book and calendar (PIM) data synchronization, and device management for wireless devices, leveraging standard protocols such as SyncML (as defined by Wikipedia). Using Funambol, we can have a BlackBerry-like features on cheap handsets which have at least J2ME and GPRS capabilities (well, almost all of them have this feature now).

Image via Wikipedia

We can use Funambol to synchronize our email, address book, and calendar data from many kind of mobile devices (Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Palm, iPod, iPhone, and any J2ME capable devices) and popular services on the web like Gmail, Facebook, MSN, and Yahoo, and even desktop applications like Ms Outlook, Thunderbird, and Lotus Notes.

It means that we can read, compose, and reply/forward emails from our mobile device with the same account as our GMail or Yahoo Mail. Using it’s push email technology, we can be notified by our cheap mobile phone when someone send us an email on our Gmail account. We can add a task or schedule a meeting on calendar using Outlook then we can see them on a cheap K320i Sony Ericsson mobile phone as well as on Gmail Task. Our contact address books will also be synchronized between all devices, services, and application that we use, meaning that our phone address book will be the same as our Yahoo, Outlook, or Gmail Contacts database. This is a very good solution for backing up valuable contact database especially for those who always lost his mobile phone easily (like me ;)).

Companies with large number of mobile employees and very tight schedule will take advantage by installing it’s own internal Funambol server, as the employees will be reminded always with it’s task and schedule as well as keep in contact with the headquarters using push email technologies. This can be achieved using the employees’ handsets that they already have.

Components

Funambol consists of several components:

• Funambol Data Synchronization Server: a mobile application server providing synchronization services for wireless clients and PCs, including push email.
• Funambol Device Management: an OMA DM server to remotely manage mobile devices.
• Funambol Connectors: gateways to file systems, databases, email systems, and applications for two-way synchronization with existing data assets.
• Funambol Client Plug-ins: protocol extenders and clients for Microsoft Office Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird (experimental), Mozilla Sunbird (experimental), Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Palm and iPod and iPhone so users can synchronize their email messages and PIM data (address book, calendar, tasks and notes) with the server.
• Funambol Software Development Kit: tools to develop sometimes-connected mobile applications on devices (in Java – J2SE and J2ME – and C++) and to add data sources to the server.

How Does It Works?

Funambol Data Synchronization servers listen on a specific port that act as a synchronization server between mobile devices, desktop applications, and web services. All these clients and Funambol use the same language, SyncML, to to the synchronization process. Funambol has its own database to store client user data, devices profile, services that the user have, email account, etc. Once setup, Funambol will keep checking on the users email account and when an email arrives on that account, Funambol will push that email to users’ handset which already installed with Funambol Client application. Using SyncML, users can add a task on their handset, then do the synchronization, and Funambol will process this task synchronization to other services that they have, for example to Gmail, Yahoo, or MSN. When they log in to Gmail, they will see the same task that they entered on their handset before.

System requirements

Windows-based host

• Pentium 4 CPU, running at 1.8GHz
• Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista
• 200 MB of free disk space
• 768 MB memory

Linux-based host

• Pentium 4 CPU, running at 1.8GHz
• No Linux version or publisher restrictions, at present
• 200 MB of free disk space
• 512 MB memory

Public IP address is a must, since mobile devices will need it to do the synchronization process.

Business Opportunity

• For System integrator and implementation service company: installing and implementing Funambol server for companies, telecommunication services, community. This can be charged by man-hour or contract based project.
• Software developer: developing new module for integrating Funambol to an existing system, using Funambol SDKs. This can be charged by man-hour or contract based project.
• Consultancy and Training on how to install, implement, integrating, development and extending Funambol: This can be charged by man-hour or contract based project.
• Service Provider: for companies which run it’s own synchronization services for it’s own customers, Funambol provides Funambol Carrier Edition, which can be bought commercially and be customized to to suit the company’s logo, brand name, etc.

Where to go further

• www.funambol.com – official Funambol corporation website
• www.forge.funambol.org – official Funambol Open Source website
• my.Funambol.com – free 90 days trial on how Funambol service looks like
• www.vitraining.com – provides installation, implementation, integrating, development and extending Funambol services worldwide