[Stern]

Had a look about the forums but can't find any discussion on it, I read this yesterday

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/p...sMobilePR.mspx

Today at Microsoft® Tech•Ed 2005, Microsoft Corp.’s largest annual technology education conference, Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft, announced the Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile™ 5.0, software based on wireless features coming in Exchange Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) to address requests by business customers for a faster, more direct messaging experience, improved security management, and better cost efficiencies and scalability in their mobile messaging solutions. In addition to providing IT administrators with the ability to better manage and protect information on a device, the feature pack includes Direct Push Technology, which keeps the business user’s Outlook® Mobile up to date by delivering information quickly and directly to a Windows Mobile-based device from Exchange Server, without requiring businesses to pay for additional and costly servers or middleware.

Enhancements to Outlook Mobile

The Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0 will offer businesses the premier mobile messaging solution, going beyond plain text e-mail to provide a fast and familiar Outlook Mobile experience. End users will have access to a wide range of business information through the following new features:

Windows Mobile Direct Push Technology. Outlook information, including e-mail, calendar, contacts and new support for Tasks, is pushed from a direct connection between Exchange Server and a Windows Mobile-based device, providing users with immediate access to Outlook information, without the need for an additional and costly server infrastructure required by other solutions on the market.

Wireless support for contact information. Support for over-the-air lookup of global address list information stored on Exchange Server, a top request from partners, enables business users to access full contact details of co-workers on a Windows Mobile-based device. The feature is broadly integrated throughout the messaging, phone, calendar and contacts experience, providing users with a consistent, productive messaging experience.

Direct Push Technology is even more compelling when integrated with the powerful Office Mobile suite in Windows Mobile 5.0, enabling users to do more than simple e-mail, such as send Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, music and video attachments in messages with rich e-mail formatting and no size restrictions.

“Successfully addressing the mobility demands of today’s business market requires a combination of powerful networks, breadth and choice of applications, and clear answers to business issues of security, return on investment and systems integration,” said Vish Sowani, vice president, International Business Marketing at T-Mobile. “The Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0 complements T-Mobile’s successful ‘Office in your Pocket’ suite of Microsoft-based solutions with a compelling messaging product that addresses these critical business needs while delivering mobile professionals much more than simple mobile e-mail. In alliance with Microsoft, we have an opportunity to strengthen our business customer portfolio and deliver another very powerful mobile business solution.”

I would like to know what everyones thoughts are on this. in my opinion it sounds like Microsofts version of BES 4.0 but from what I can tell it will be a service pack for Exchange therefore the only cost would be the handsets which would be any device running the new windows mobile 5 OS for smartphones/Pocket PC.

Should RIM be worried? Are RIM still going to licence HTC devices with Blackberry connect? what do you think.

PS Apologies if this has already been posted I did a search but couldn't find anything.

[Talldog]

It is true that the only cost will be the device and airtime. Besides Windows Mobile, it will also support the Treo and many Symbian phones at some point, since PalmOne, Nokia, and at least one other company have licensed ActiveSync for Exchange. The sticking points will be security and ease of use.

This has been coming for some time (my company has known for a while that MS would basically give away the server functionality), so I hope RIM has a better plan than Netscape did.

[Dawg]

But what about those who dont have BES or a server. Will we be able to run it from our home pc.

[Stern]

Originally Posted by Dawg

But what about those who dont have BES or a server. Will we be able to run it from our home pc.

it's a service pack for Microsoft exchange server, so unless you have a microsoft exchange server running on your home PC then no.

Talldog, does the new push messaging/PIM sync from Microsoft use Active Sync? I don't think it does as there is already OTA activesync available for windows mobile, however it doesn't work on a push basis it's just remote active sync and the user has to manually syncronise.

I heard about AS being licenced to Nokia however I would have thought it will work in the same way as it already does with Windows mobile 2003. (connect to active sync first, then do a sync, disconnect etc) However the new Exchange component for Windows mobile 5 seems to be entirley new technology

[Dawg]

Then I dont see it killing rim at all except to those that use BES and they arent going to want to go out buy all new units. Maybe as they phase out old units they would buy windows OS enabled units. But I cant see an over whelmong switch. Just not cost effective.

[eatmypiano]

It's a service pack, but it's a service pack for 2003 only. Since Microsofts installed base for Exchange is primarily 2000, there's not many people who will want to upgrade when they can get a BES for an established solution. I know of some companies that are still running Domino 5 or NT4 - "It works, why upgrade?"

It's not a BlackBerry killer because it's not a rival product.

[SUFan]

Don't forget the differences in hardware. We extensively evaluated Treos and MS phones. They were either extremely buggy and problematic or too much for our users to handle. Our users have adapted to Blackberry's extremely well.

With the other devices, you should have seen the looks I got when I told users they had to reboot their phones on a regular basis.

[Stern]

There are a few things worth noting here.

it looks like it's aimed at new customers the option is now, spend thousands on hardware and software and devices or spend nothing on hardware nothing on the software and choose which devices you want to use. While I don't think everyone is going to drop everything and switch to MS it will certainly be more difficult for RIM for new uptake.

It may only be for 2003 but it's only a matter of time before 2000 is out of support and the majority are on 2003 anyway

Most companies are still using BES 3.6. version 4 hasn't been out long and it won't be long before they start to look at the upgrade, there is another option now that's just as functional and 100% cheaper.

[Stern]

I have been using both blackberry and windows mobiles for over a year now, I work on a data support desk with most of the queries I get being about blackberry, I have stopped counting how many times I have to get blackberry users to do a power cycle to get it working again, and I'm not sure what you're smartphone users are doing to have to reboot it on a regular basis but I very rarely reboot mine and I give it a lot of stick running all kinds of things on it.

besides Nothing is as buggy as BES 4.0!!

[Dawg]

I very rarely ever reboot my unit. Only when i install a new program or delete one.

[dkmadrid]

Originally Posted by Dawg

I very rarely ever reboot my unit. Only when i install a new program or delete one.

I agree, very rarely does the need to reboot come up. Not sure what your users are doing that is creating the need to reboot so often.

[Talldog]

Originally Posted by Stern

Talldog, does the new push messaging/PIM sync from Microsoft use Active Sync? I don't think it does as there is already OTA activesync available for windows mobile, however it doesn't work on a push basis it's just remote active sync and the user has to manually syncronise.

Yes, it's still going to be ActiveSync for Exchange, but it will now support push.

[ladydi]

I just happen to have a friend who is working on this MS project and the goal is to sell Exchange. The fringe benefit is putting BB out of business. MS has been trying to make something in the smartphone/push mobile mail market for years, but they are a bit late in the game and they don't make much money from it if any. They make money selling corporate software. because of the BB popularity, they just add the push e-mail feature to Exchange and voila! instant new market share of those who previously had no reason to spend a bunch of money on Exchange and those on Exchange 2000 now have a good reason to upgrade.

~Di~

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by SUFan

With the other devices, you should have seen the looks I got when I told users they had to reboot their phones on a regular basis.

FWIW, the last few Windows Mobile devices I extensively used (Samsung i700, i-mate JAM, Audiovox SMT 5600) didn't require regular (or even frequent) reboots.

Sounds like someone should create a "Windows Mobile Myths and Rumors Dispelled" FAQ.

It Microsoft's push email is anything like their other products, it'll take several more versions before it's really good. But they definately have the pricing advantage for current Exchange sites (and other companies considering Exchange).

[SUFan]

I have just found that the blackberries seem to be more stable than treos and ms smartphones. I know of many others who had problems with the treos. Some of the problems may have been due to the 3rd party software we were using for push e-mail.

Regarding the devices, our high level execs couldn't seem to handle all of the functionality of the Treo's and MS phones. No one liked them and felt they were too difficult to use. Conversly, I have had no complaints about the black berries. Whatever works in your environment.

We will probably stay with the BB's anyway as we are a GroupWise shop.

[jbairdjr]

At our office, we have BlACKBERRY handhelds, POCKET PC handhelds, and a couple of Palm Tungsten W's.
It is very rare that one of our 7100g's needs a re-boot (been a long time for me). However, our Pocket PC's (Audiovox 4100) need re-booting every other day or so, and the Tungsten W's are truly junk. We have finally replaced all (but one) of our W's because they were failing quickly.
I wouldnt mind some of the features that Pocket PC adds, but I'll stick with my 7100g.

[Bunker]

Originally Posted by ladydi

I just happen to have a friend who is working on this MS project and the goal is to sell Exchange. The fringe benefit is putting BB out of business. MS has been trying to make something in the smartphone/push mobile mail market for years, but they are a bit late in the game and they don't make much money from it if any. They make money selling corporate software. because of the BB popularity, they just add the push e-mail feature to Exchange and voila! instant new market share of those who previously had no reason to spend a bunch of money on Exchange and those on Exchange 2000 now have a good reason to upgrade.

~Di~

Few comments:

1. No one has seen the service yet, so no one knows if it is going to be good or bad or mediocre. Or even what security is really required, or how it is supported, or... Too early to tell. Support is going to be a huge question.
2. Exchange is still only 40% of the market, and currently Exchange 2003 is only 10%-15% of the Exchange bases and from being the project manager at my company responsible for the migration from 2000 to 2003, the upgrade path to Exchange 2003 is not a simple one. Yes everyone may get there eventually but it is still for most companies a couple of years away. Cheaper to buy a BES and get functionality now. You can't 'kill BlackBerry' by making something available to maybe 20% of the market.
3. I don't want mobile services on my Exchange server. I want Exchange to run my mail systems. That is why our BES servers are on different hardware. Last thing I need is for the Mobile Services which is not for all our users to bring down or effect my mail system
4. The MS Service is only Email and PIM. What about all the wireless apps through MDS?
5. This is a huge market - there is room for more than one product. Even if BlackBerry becomes the standard for Domino & Groupwise + some Exchange it will still have a larger target market than MS. This isn't Netscape vs IE where all users are automatically available to the MS marketing machine.

I don't understand why everyone is so ready to write BlackBerry off everytime someone even hints that they are interested in entering the market.

Bunker

[aristobrat]

I think the word "killer" is totally overrated.

Every new Windows Mobile device with a keyboard is a "Treo Killer", every new MP3 player is an "iPod Killer". :yawn: LOL

I'm definately not writing BlackBerry off anytime soon (I work at a shop that runs Domino on an AS/400), although I am excited to see how the new Exchange push mail ends up working out.

[stevenyc]

If Microsoft's tech support can connect me to someone who knows anything about their product in under an hour's time, I'm so there.

[seagrtj]

Originally Posted by Bunker

Few comments:

2. Exchange is still only 40% of the market, and currently Exchange 2003 is only 10%-15% of the Exchange bases and from being the project manager at my company responsible for the migration from 2000 to 2003, the upgrade path to Exchange 2003 is not a simple one.

Bunker

This sums it up in my opinion. I get so tired of the Microsoft bandwagon, it seems that whenever Microsoft does anything the media and trade publications get all giddy. There are alot of Exchange customers out that don't want to and/or can't upgrade to 2K3 because of its complexity and don't forget that you have to have a PhD to understand Microsoft Licensing. What does it say for a company or product where only 10-15% of your entire install base is on the current version.
The other thing that I don't understand about this whole scenario is that you almost have the same functionality with Exchange 2K3 already. Activesync server is included with E2K3 and works just fine. I understand that this only works with MS based devices or devices with Activesync devices, but they are marketing this thing like it is a NEW function of Exchange and wait...FREE!....ewwww... You already offer similar function for free!
</rant>

I am just a confused email administrator anyway. I am a GroupWise admin with a MCP on Exchange 2K3....