Sending emails to mobile phones in the Middle East and Africa has become easier thanks to a deal with a Kent firm.

Synchronica, based in Tunbridge Wells, is supplying its Blackberry-like technology to Emircom, a service provider in the Middle East, for use by business people and other customers across the Middle East and Africa.

The agreement brings together Synchronica’s mobile email technology that works on standard handsets, with Emircom’s knowledge of mobile email requirements in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, Lebanon and Pakistan.

Experts predict that there will be nearly five billion mobile phone subscribers by 2012, with the next billion coming from emerging markets like Africa and the Middle East where PC and fixed-line penetration is low.

They claim the Middle East and Africa region is the fastest growing mobile market in the world.

Synchronica chief executive Carsten Brinkschulte said: "The relationship with Emircom unites our ground-breaking mobile email technology with their extensive knowledge of their markets’ ICT requirements.

“The result will be a compelling hosted mobile email service that we are confident will prove popular in these developing markets."

D.G.Roy, chief operating officer with Emircom, added: "We reviewed a number of mobile email products before selecting Synchronica’s Mobile Gateway for its ease of deployment, its zero footprint architecture and its ability to work with virtually any phone in use today.

“We plan to start offering this secure, hosted, mobile email service to customers immediately".

Synchronica has its HQ in Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, with other offices in German, Hong Kong, Dubai and the United States.