Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Dorian Mattar — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:53:41 GMT

"If you have an iPhone, and don't care about calendaring or a corporate address book or deleting more than one message at a time (!!), then great, I'm very happy for you. Enjoy web browsing on the EDGE network. Enjoy delaing with spam one...message...at...a...time. Enjoy using your own little calendar that no one else can see. Enjoy adding your addresses one at a time for all of your customers, friends, clients, whatever."

I don't mind the EDGE network at all, specially when my battery life last longer. I usually find what I want faster than any of the people in the office which use Treos, Q's or whatever. So I can't complaint on the speed.

The email is a bitch to delete one at a time, that i'll give you.

But I can share my calendar with anyone using an Apple Computer, or anyone on a browser if I desired, right? and it's based on CalDav, so it's open. Don't see why it's not compatible with anyone else as you mention.

I can also sync using Entourage via the cable in the morning. It's not up to the minute, but it's close enough for now.

I also think that Leopard will have a complete calendar solution in a couple of weeks. We'll see what that translates to with the iPhone.

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Dorian Mattar — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:35:33 GMT

The iPhone is a brand new product and it's the FIRST time Apple creates a phone so their priorities are completely out of sync - no pun intended - with everyones wishes here.

Apple will first roll the iphone world wide, then they will start updating all the new features like voice dialing and whatever, and finally if everything is working right, will start moving into the corporate world.

The iPHone is first of all a consumer phone. People love the phone so much that they want to use it for more than that, and that's fine, but it will be a bumpy ride until Apple is ready to move into the enterprise.

That might be sooner than later if Leopard moves in that direction.

P.S. to Mr. Truth, can you please stop the duplication of contacts on my bosses TREO Win based phone? Cause no one around here seems to be able to. So for a business doing the same thing for 10 years, it sure looks like a second rate product.

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Terry — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 07:01:31 GMT

How do you setup Iphone to work with SBS 2003 SP2? I must have tried over 20 different configs, but none of them work. And I am MCSE certified, maybe I need my grand children to show me how. Any help is Greatly appreciated.

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Nikolay Shopik — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:58:00 GMT

Hi guys, nice article but I would really like to see RAW capabilites as for exchange 2003 they are: NAMESPACE AUTH=CRAM-MD5 IDLE STARTTLS LOGINDISABLED ACL UNSELECT UIDPLUS.
What about implementation in exchange 2007, something new added?

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Hodad — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:49:01 GMT

Look, people, the bottom line is not whether true IT professionals should know more technology than what Microsoft provides; the bottom line is security. The more protocols I enable, the more ports I open on my firewall, the more avenues there are to exploit my system. Why would I want to use IMAP unless I have to?

Now, since everyone is a contrarian, since everyone has to be a wiseguy, you may now proceed to tear what I just said to shreds without spending one minute thinking about it.

ps iPhones are gay

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

jzfunk — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:45:39 GMT

why can't we all just get along?
all technology has it s place.. use what u need to get the job done.

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

audrie — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:45:43 GMT

I used them all: windows mobile, palm and the blackberry before I purchased my first Apple product: the iphone. AND I loved the Blackberry just for PUSH: It was perfect for pushing email and calendar enteries (that I could Accept/Reject ON THE PHONE) - and it often beat the normal email system in getting stuff to me.

However, I was leashed to my job - not only during business travel but also at home in front of the TV. I know that some people need that level of attachment to email and calendar apps - but honestly I don't. I thought I did - in fact a year ago I would have told you it was MANDATORY....but in hind sight....Life is much more important (which includes the multi-media I love like music, video, and audiobooks for train, bus, and plane travel). The iPhone interface adds to the fun of off-hours....if that is weird - then I'm weird. All of us have to balance work, gadgets, and human family and friend time. Sometimes both Microsoft and Apple seem to be on opposing ends of the scales - neither truly balanced in their approach. I suggest that anyone who thinks they must be attached to the exchange server by the hip - double check that you're not fooling yourself....cause it can get unhealthy. Of course, I'm not talking to doctors or those that have jobs that require them to travel for business often.--which is NOT the MAJORITY of the business population.]

ANYWAY, I'd be happy with SYNC-ing to the office email. Back when I had an IPAQ - I could sync email - incoming and outgoing. Is this possible with iphone and exchange server? Has anyone gotten that far? Can the anyone post a message that explains how to do that?

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

DaveG — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:17:24 GMT

@Brian: Apple doesnt care. Mobile messaging is about more than just business. Not everyone needs a full-featured collaboration solution, but most non-techies need a useable solution. What the iPhone offers is simplicity. It's not a business devices and that probably makes it a more useful solution to more people.

All of the muddle that goes into the typical business solution makes it about as easy to use as the average 10-person business meeting is productive. IMO, messaging and "collaboration" has become the scourge of productivity and is now the biggest distraction in the workplace. Think of "full featured" in terms of diminished capacity and the iPhone's offering in terms of useful simplicity.

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Brian — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:02:13 GMT

The amount of Apple fanboyism on this article is amazing.

I use IMAP. I like IMAP. With a decent client (Thunderbird), it does a pretty good job at handling email.

It is not, nor has it ever been, serious competition for Exchange/Outlook. If you don't work someplace that needs groupware, you don't understand. That's OK. But at any large (or even medium) business, it's impossible to get anything done without groupware.

How do you schedule a meeting with 10 people? How do you find a time when everyone is available? How do you know who's going to attend? How do you keep on top of all of the things you have to do?

This is the RDF at it's best. iPhone doesn't support 3rd-party apps? They weren't important anyway. Shared calendars? Who needs them! IMAP IDLE? No, we should all use the draft Push-IMAP standard that was deprecated in favor of LEMONADE!

DirectPush just works. There aren't five servers to configure. You don't need separate software to enforce security settings. Like BlackBerry, it's a fully integrated system that requires very little babysitting. Unlike Blackberry, it doesn't have a central point of failure.

DirectPush means that I can sleep an extra hour when my manager cancels the weekly status meeting. DirectPush means that I don't ask stupid questions that were already answered in an email I just received. DirectPush means that I can set reminders on my desktop and they just show up on my phone. It means that my contacts are backed up, automatically and transparently.

Millions of people use BlackBerrys or DirectPush. They're going to continue to do so until Apple realizes that it's about more than just email.

re: Mobile Device Connectivity to Exchange using IMAP vs Exchange ActiveSync

Victor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 19:58:11 GMT

So, does anyone have their iPhone working with Exchange yet (not to mention configuring firewalls, front end Exchange servers, etc), or is there just going to be more (and more) opinions posted?