Funambol, the mobile cloud company, launched the mm4android mobile cloud service for Android (News - Alert) phones and tablets. The users, through MobileMe-like Service for Android are allowed to sync contacts, calendars, tasks, notes and pictures with diverse devices and systems. Any Android device regardless of brand or OS is also supported by the app.

The Funambol (News - Alert) App can be downloaded by the users from the Android market to access their free online account. To assist mobile operators and service providers in offering a cross-platform alternative to device maker sync services that only work with their own devices, Funambol is also providing them with mm4android as a white-label solution. mm4android syncs PIM data with Outlook and photos with cloud services such as Facebook (News - Alert), Flickr and Picasa as well as other mobile phones and computers. It syncs data and content in the cloud with Android and non-Android devices.

"The adoption of Android devices is exploding. With the advent of exciting new phones and tablets from a variety of manufacturers, including the Motorola Xoom, HTC Facebook Phone and Apple (News - Alert) iPad2, users require an easy service to wirelessly manage their data and media, regardless of device", said Amit Chawla, Funambol CEO, in a press release. "Funambol launched mm4android and is offering it as a white-label solution to provide an easy way for users to wirelessly sync their devices with the systems they use every day."

According to a recent Gartner (News - Alert) report, the number of Android phones and tablets is rapidly increasing and has become the number two mobile OS globally, higher than RIM or iPhone iOS. In addition to this, a recent study of U.S. consumers by market research company Market Force, has found that 34 percent would be more likely to purchase Android versus 21 percent preferring iPhone and 12 percent BlackBerry. At the same time, with the adoption of new devices such as the iPad2, the likelihood of people using devices from more than one brand is increasing, spurring the need for a simple way to keep diverse devices in sync.