Filed under: Enterprise, Apple, iPhone
Apple/Microsoft in talks for ActiveSync before iPhone launched
Exchange support in the iPhone has been rumored almost as long as the iPhone itself was rumored to exist. Much as the iPhone turned out to be real, so has ActiveSync on the iPhone. Microsoft released an interview with Terry Myerson, corporate vice president for Exchange, which includes a very interesting tidbit. Mr. Myserson says that Apple and Microsoft were in talks about licensing ActiveSync before the iPhone was announced. Furthermore, he was in daily contact with Apple VP Phil Schiller (when Schiller wasn't making up Apple rumors, of course) for two weeks while they set the details of the agreement between the two tech giants.This isn't a revelation, since it stands to reason that a company in the business of selling a smart phone and another company in the business of selling technology for smart phones would work together but it is interesting nonetheless.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Unregistered said 10:43PM on 3-06-2008
I'm glad Apple was not stubborn over this.
I wonder if the people at RIM are in a fluster now.
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Mat Lu said 10:47PM on 3-06-2008
I'm still amazed this happened. You can't help but wonder what Apple had to pay.
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Virtuous said 11:15PM on 3-06-2008
This is in Microsoft's best interests. It further entrenches Exchange Activesync as a standard. Even RIM depends on Exchange Server for BES.
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Ben Englert said 11:32PM on 3-06-2008
This is my ignorance kicking in - does ActiveSync support imply IMAP Idle support? Are all of us simple Gmail users going to feel the push goodness too?
And hopefully the Mail server in Leopard supports ActiveSync or some kind of push as well? Or did they just concede the enterprise PIM server market to Microsoft forever?
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Michael Rose said 12:04AM on 3-07-2008
ActiveSync is not the same as IMAP Idle. I'm going to try and get full details up in the morning, but the short answer is it's legitimate push email.
Ben said 8:09AM on 3-07-2008
I second that, it is a legitimate push by keeping a TCP connection open, but it does not even use the same port as IMAP.
Neil said 11:34PM on 3-06-2008
Other than the PC / Mac adds that Apple come out with, both Apple and Microsoft have been getting on quite well for years, its not really that surprising.
I have to say I was really hyped when I saw exchange in action on the iPhone, I really can't wait to test that out on my iPhone. :)
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Neil said 11:34PM on 3-06-2008
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Twist said 11:44PM on 3-06-2008
Now if they could just come to some kind of arrangement to get DirectX (and the related APIs for networking and sound) on Mac OS X. If Apple was the least bit serious about enhancing the Mac as a gaming platform this would be one of the first moves they would need to make (right after they start including better GPU in the low and mid level machines, get better drivers for said graphics cards, and upgrade to a more recent version of OpenGL). And truthfully it could benefit Microsoft as well if game developers could use their XNA toolset to develop for Windows, the Xbox 360, and the Macintosh all at the same time.
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Dan said 4:36AM on 3-07-2008
probably wishful thinking, but might this license also extend to iCal/exchange syncing? I'm deserate to ditch entourage at work but rely on the calendar functions in exchange - and seeing how amazing the exchange integration on iPhone is about to get, would love to see the same on my mac!
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Kishen said 5:44AM on 3-07-2008
good call, Dan. would love to see this happen too.
Ben said 8:13AM on 3-07-2008
No kidding.
Although Contacts supports Exchange syncing now, it doesn't work if your company's server uses form-based authentication (mine does) and Mail requires IMAP to be open.
If Apple were to license ActiveSync for Leopard than any Exchange server with the feature would support full syncing. This feature is on be default starting with Exchange 2003 SP2 and I'd be surprised if anyone turns off.
ItGuy said 8:34AM on 3-07-2008
Shame really. Exchange is a POS on so many levels - from the reliance on Windows and AD to the poor messaging store and reliability. It doesn't scale well and is really a poor back end platform with a "great" front end - Outlook (although I don't get why Outlook is so great).
What would be better would have been for Apple to license the RIM technology (like Palm) and include THAT. With the Blackberry technology from RIM, Apple would be able to include a client on the handheld that would talk to Notes, Exchange, Scalix, GroupWise, and any other mail system able to use a BES.
That would be great for the ~60% of companies that DON'T use Exchange.
I just can't wait for the Notes client - that's what we use at our company and while the client needs work, the back end is ROCK SOLID and its scalability and reliability can't be touched by Exchange.
For the record, BES comes in many flavors and only the Exchange version uses ActiveSync. Our Notes version uses no such thing.
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Michael Rose said 12:30PM on 3-07-2008
"For the record, BES comes in many flavors and only the Exchange version uses ActiveSync."
BES doesn't use ActiveSync at all.
atomsk47 said 12:18PM on 3-07-2008
But where is the the iPhone support for iCal Server >_
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SKK said 1:37PM on 3-07-2008
So will there be push email for other providers, such as gmail. I don't see a BIS type service happening, so it looks like unless you are on exchange, the best you'll get is IMAP.
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