Nokia has released a major update for their Mail for Exchange mobile client which aims to make more competitive and a viable business solution for business folks.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the new features that Mail for Exchange version 2.9.158 brings to the table:

• Access Point Groups/Destinations (for S60 3rd Edition FP 2 and S60 5th Edition phones only) – Active automatic switching between WiFi and GPRS connections if Destinations is supported
• Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks are disabled by default on new installs to prevent users from inadvertently losing Calendar, Contacts and Task data.
• Pictures in contacts are now synchronized
• All Mail for Exchange tabs are now always displayed
• Improved battery life in adverse network conditions. If it can’t maintain a connection to the Exchange Server, it will automatically switch to checking every 15 minutes. It’ll switch back to Always on at the next scheduled period
• When editing your Out of Office (OoO) message on the phone, Mail for Exchange retrieves the current OoO message from the server when the setting/tab is accessed and OoO is set to “Yes” as opposed to periodically which was the case in prior versions. This requires connectivity with the server and may cause a short delay
• You can now manage your device by name instead of by IMEI through Outlook Web Access (OWA) email client if allowed by account. OWA users can perform device management features on their phone clients

There’s no doubt that Nokia’s latest update to their Mail for Exchange client will make it more reliable and easier to use. As to whether itis good enough for people to start choosing Nokia over a BlackBerry, we probably all know the answer to that question.

Nonetheless, the improvements they have made in version 2.9.158 will certainly help their cause and will be very much appreciated by loyal Nokia-using businessmen from all over the globe. If you’re more than ready to update, head on over here to download it now.

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