iPhone with MS ActiveSync, maybe?

I've been playing with my unlocked iPhone for the last couple weeks in place of my Windows Mobile smartphone. The iPhone is cool, doubles as my iPod and genuinely has some hi-tech features but using it as a business is not really all that practical unless Apple licenses MS ActiveSync so that users can get push mail from Exchange Servers.

I have set up my iPhone to get mail from my Exchange Server (basically as an IMAP client) which works fine for reading some mail but EDGE is extremely slow even compared to EDGE on Windows Mobile phones. Also, the major downside of using IMAP client is that if you want to forward mail with major attachments then the iPhone has to download the entire message and then send via SMTP which is a double whammy on EDGE traffic. This adds up to a major data roaming phone bill if you travel a lot and gets email with attachments a lot. Also, the iPhone is sometimes too user-friendly and lacks feature to specify how much of an email to download or stopping downloads, ability to send any attachments, etc.

Anyway, does anyone know whether Apple is in any way or form talking to MS on licensing ActiveSync for the iPhone? I can see myself going back to my Windows Mobile phone soon if only for improved productivity and lowering my phone bills.

 

That would be a pity if Apple doesn't do it. This would open up the door for iPhone to be considered a business phone and that would do wonders for the share price.

Fingers still crossed though...I mean Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Symbian, Motorola have all licensed Exchange ActiveSync from MS, why not Apple?