System and method for wirelessly provisioning a mobile communication device

1. A method of provisioning a mobile communication device to operate with an enterprise server, the enterprise server being operable to communicate with a wireless gateway over a computer network to redirect electronic messages from an electronic mail (email) account to the mobile communication device, comprising:

generating a provisioning request message at the mobile communication device that includes a wireless identification to identify the mobile communication device in a wireless network and also includes an email address identifying the email account;

transmitting the provisioning request message over the wireless network to the wireless gateway;

using the email address to transmit the provisioning request message to the email account using an email transfer protocol;

monitoring the email account to detect the provisioning request message;

in response to detecting the provisioning request message in the email account, configuring the enterprise server to include the wireless identification;

generating a provisioning response message that includes a network address for the enterprise server that identifies the enterprise server in the computer network;

transmitting the provisioning response message to the wireless gateway using the email transfer protocol;

transmitting the provisioning response message to the mobile communication device over the wireless network; and

configuring the mobile communication device to include the network address of the enterprise server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning request message includes a provisioning request identifier, and wherein the enterprise server monitors the email account for a received email that include the provisioning request identifier to detect the provisioning request message.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the provisioning request identifier is included in a subject field of the provisioning request message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enterprise server is operable to communicate with the wireless gateway using a direct TCP/IP level connection over the computer network.

5. A method of provisioning a mobile communication device to operate with an electronic messaging system, comprising:

generating a provisioning request message at the mobile communication device that includes a wireless identification for identifying the mobile communication device in a wireless network;

transmitting the provisioning request message from the mobile communication device to the electronic messaging system using a pre-established communication link;

detecting the provisioning request message at the electronic messaging system;

in response to detecting the provisioning request message, provisioning the electronic messaging system to include the wireless identification;

generating a provisioning response message at the electronic messaging system that includes an address for communicating with the electronic messaging system over a direct communication link;

transmitting the provisioning response message from the electronic messaging system to the mobile communication device using the pre-established communication link; and

provisioning the mobile communication device to include the address for communicating with the electronic messaging system over a direct communication link.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pre-established communication link uses a simple mail transfer protocol (SMPT) link.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pre-established communication link is a short-range wireless communication link.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pre-established communication link is a Bluetooth communication link.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pre-established communication link is a Wi-Fi communication link.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pre-established communication link is an infrared link.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pre-established communication link is a telephone link.

12. In a system for provisioning a mobile communication device to operate with an enterprise server, the enterprise server being operable to communicate with a wireless gateway over a computer network to redirect electronic messages from an electronic mail (email) account to the mobile communication device, the enterprise server comprising:

a communication subsystem operable to communicate over the computer network;

a memory subsystem operable to store data and program information;

a processing subsystem operable to store and retrieve data in the memory subsystem and execute programs stored in the memory subsystem, and cause to the communication subsystem to transmit and receive information over the computer network;

a provisioning program stored in the memory subsystem and executed by the processing subsystem, the provisioning program being operable to cause the enterprise server to detect a provisioning request message in the email account, the provisioning request message being sent from the mobile communication device to the email account over a pre-established communication channel and including a wireless identification for identifying the mobile communication device in a wireless network, and the provisioning program being further operable to store the wireless identification in the memory subsystem for use in redirecting electronic messages from the email account to the mobile communication device;

the provisioning program is further operable to generate a provisioning response message that includes a network address for communicating with the enterprise server over the computer network and sending the provisioning response message to the mobile communication device over the pre-established communication channel, wherein the network address is used to provision the mobile communication device to communicate with the enterprise server.

13. The enterprise server of claim 12 , wherein the pre-established communication channel uses a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP).

14. The enterprise server of claim 13 , wherein the provisioning request message is an email addressed to the email account.

15. The enterprise server of claim 12 , wherein the provisioning response message is an email addressed to a wireless email account for the mobile communication device.