Application service provider Punch Networks Corp. has launched a wireless service for small businesses to complement Punch WebGroups, the company's online file-collaboration service.

Punch primarily targets legal, architectural, and sales-force professionals who are constantly on the move. Last week, the company launched the service as a licensed software package for companies that want to deploy it behind their own corporate firewalls. This week, Punch is launching the wireless version as a subscription-based service, which the company will host for users in its own data centers. The service allows Punch's existing user base to access and manage all the data stored in their Punch WebGroups files via a Web-enabled cellular phone.

Core features of the new service include the ability to receive file update notifications when new files have been updated or altered, the ability to send and receive files, and the ability to track files.

"Cell phones will play more of a role in coordinating and managing communications and objects like files in the very near future rather than having full-fledged client capabilities like laptops," says Aberdeen Group analyst Dana Gardner. "This service may allow users to move files around, manage files, and even do a little bit of browsing of documents. There is a need for it among a number of industries."

Punch WebGroups for wireless will be available in beta at no additional cost to existing WebGroups users in about two weeks. Pricing for Punch WebGroups starts at $10 per month.