iPhone and MS Exchange Mail

[Moof1904]

I know this topic has been touched upon numerous times, but the info out there seems to be a bit dated.

Last I read, Apple was supposed to announce support for MS Exchange email around June 27 in an announcement involving the "Exchange ActiveSync licensing protocol." I'm not savvy enough to know exactly WTF that is, so can someone clue me in:

1) Did this Exchange ActiveSync licensing protocol thing happen?
2) If it did, does it mean that the iPhone now works with a MS Exchange mail server just as a Blackberry or other device does?
3) Is it true that the only way to get it to work is to make the Exchange server use an IMAP account or is that the way it was pre-Exchange ActiveSync licensing protocol?

4) The above questions really condense into one question: is it possible to use an iPhone on a MS Exchange mail system without switching to an IMAP account and if so, what does one have to instruct the IT people to do to make it work?

 

[DotComCTO]

The short answer is that Exchange support is still only available via IMAP. Still no word on when Apple will add support via Exchange ActiveSync. EAS provides Blackberry-like push email support along with OTA sync for calendar and contacts.

I wish Apple would say when this will happen. There's a forum member here - DSchwartz88 - that claimed his boss was beta testing the feature, but I think it was all a bunch of baloney. You can search for that thread as there was some other info in there.

--DotComCTO

 

[Moof1904]

Thanks for the response. I was afraid that the situation would be as you described. For some reason, many companies refuse to set their Exchange server up as IMAP, claiming it's less secure. I honestly don't know enough to dispute that or not.

I read the thread to which you are referring. I found it of questionable legitimacy also.

 

[mpuck972]

IMAP is not as secure, and a pain to set up. I think this is Apple's way of saying, do what we say, not as you wish.

 

[DotComCTO]

To me, it's a "must do" for Apple. Apple has been focused on providing iPhone enhancements that drive revenue. What better way to drive revenue than to provide solid corporate support so that AT&T can open up corporate sales of iPhones? It's harder to do than ringtones, and it's probably not "low hanging fruit"; however, in prior interviews, Steve Jobs intimated that it's already a work-in-progress that is being beta tested with other companies. I wish I was one of those companies!

In the interim, I carry my Blackberry for corporate email & SMS alerting (i.e., custom pager events). I use my iPhone for personal email and everything else! Good thing the iPhone fits nicely in my pocket.

Hey Apple...if you're looking for a beta tester...



--DotComCTO