Is there really any reason to get Enterprise Data Plan?

[InTheAir]

Background:
I will be using my iPhone mainly for push email, calendar, contacts from my work's exchange server.
I will also be trying to get a home comcast and gmail email to the iPhone.
My account will be paid and maintained personally. (not through a corporate account)

Questions:
I've been told that because I want to get work email, I HAVE to get the Enterprise Date Plan and, thus, MUST get the iPhone at ATT. However, I see reports here that people are able to get connected to their exchange servers with personal data plans.

Is there any REAL reason to get the Enterprise Date Plan? Does it get me anything other than a higher bill?

 

[paulyonder]

cough *bump* cough

hi there mate,

It depends, I'm in the UK and was told that work emails usually require an enterprise license. However, if I'm assuming its an Outlook exchange server, and your company has OWA (outlook web access) you can route this mail off OWA using a personal data plan.

If you google setting up OWA with iPhone I'm sure it'll turn up results. I'd previously done this with a Blackberry.

As a note, its not actually completely Push, there is a short delay of no more than 10 minutes, i guess it depends how important you are!

Ta

p

 

[J@ffa]

Sounds like ******** to me. I've got an iPod Touch, so the situation is a little different, but still. If I go to the add mail accounts part of the settings menu, I get the option to add (among several others) an Exchange account. I'm also getting push email from my MobileMe account, and since the 2.0 software isn't massively different from the iPhone 2.0 software I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work - it's probably just disinformation from AT&T to encourage people to buy things they don't need, although I can't be sure.

Do you know anyone with a 3G iPhone you can borrow to test it out and see if it works? Either that, or find out if you can crossgrade tariffs in the event it doesn't work.

 

[digitalfx]

bs...I dont have Enterprise Data Plan and Exchange works just fine. The salesmen are clueless, mine told me the same thing.

 

[mhobgood]

No need for Enterprise Data plan to make active synch work

I have configured both an IPhone and IPHONE 3G to work with corporate email via active-synch. I think the enterprise plan is nothing more than market segmentation strategy by AT&T.

 

[InTheAir]

You know, I was in line at Apple to get a phone yesterday and was told I would need the Enterprise Plan and I should go stand in line at ATT (upstairs). Well, ATT ran out of the 16 Black 3 people in front of me. I would have been better off in the Apple line.

Well, at least I know now (Thanks!) and won't spend an extra $45 a month for the "Enterprise" plan.

 

[fuzbox]

I have the personal data plan and have access to my exchange work account and it works perfectly. Push is instant.

Well... almost perfect. I just noticed that if I receive an email with an attachment larger than a couple kb - eg. a word document that is 100kb I can't forward it. It just sits in the outbox. Attempts multiple times to send but never gets sent.

We are using a hosted exchange service and they said that the email goes through AT&T's active sync servers and that it the only logical explanation is that they are blocking large attachments on the personal data plan.

Haven't called AT&T yet.... but does this sound logical?

 

[GTDaveMac]

Sounds like some people don't understand the Enterprise option. It's only $45 if you buy an iPhone for your business. They shouldn't even sell you the $45 Enterprise plan if you are a private user. There are references all over the web, here is just one example.

To break it down, it's not whether you use your business's services, it's whether you are a business user (as in the business purchases the phone.) There's a difference.

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/006332.html