Optus is offering an integrated corporate email service on the Treo 650 smartphone, which allows mobile users to wirelessly access and manage email and calendar information while on the move.

The Treo 650 smartphone and MobileMail service is available from Optus nationally on a range of plans and flexible payment options, which will provide competition for the popular Blackberry device.

John Simon, acting managing director Optus Business, said, "The Treo 650 from palmOne is a truly convergent device as it successfully combines voice and data in one handheld unit. With the MobileMail service from Optus on the Treo 650, corporate users no longer have to return to the office to access their email."

Paul Blinkhorn, vice president for palmOne Asia Pacific, said, "We are delighted to work with Optus to provide premium products and services to corporate customers across the country. MobileMail opens up a world of opportunity to the Australian mobile business community, as it provides an integrated carrier solution on the Treo 650 that offers them wireless email on the go."

The Treo 650 smartphone combines a full-featured quad-band mobile phone with a range of productivity applications, including email, organiser and web access. Users also can view, edit and create Word and Excel compatible documents or access PowerPoint presentations on the go. In addition, Bluetooth technology enables the Treo 650 to connect wirelessly to Bluetooth enabled printers and headsets. Multimedia capabilities include a built-in MP3 player and a digital camera that can capture still images and video that can be viewed on a colour screen.

The Treo 650 has a recommended retail price of $1199.