Jun
29
2009

iPhone 3.0 and Exchange Server- Better Than Ever

The much ballyhooed iPhone 3.0 update is here, and with it come a number of significant improvements in the way the iPhone integrates with Microsoft Exchange server. As a counter to the button down business oriented Blackberry, the iPhone has been seen as the ‘fun’ device, but when combined with Exchange server, the iPhone is a powerful business smart phone in its own right.

The iPhone has always been able to connect to Exchange servers via IMAP, and native support for ActiveSync and Exchange has been built in since release2.0. This gives administrators an alternative to the potential security risks associated with IMAP. Using ActiveSync to connect to Exchange server has additional benefits as well. IMAP is only designed to handle e-mail, but with ActiveSync users have full synchronization with their calendars and contacts in addition to e-mail.

iPhone 3.0 takes this synchronization feature a step further, allowing syncing with multiple calendars, both locally and from the Exchange server. Meeting invitations can now be created and sent from the phone, giving field reps and sales people added flexibility for appointment setting and client meetings. Like calendars, contact info can also be synced between local contact lists and contacts on the server. iPhone 3.0 supports both CalDev and ICS calendar protocols.
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Jun
24
2009

How Email Synchronization Can Save Time and Money

There are few things as aggravating as having to do the same job twice, and yet when it comes to managing our business lives, many people have to do this constantly. Here’s a common example- a salesperson books an appointment with a client. She adds the appointment to her desktop calendar. Then she also adds the appointment to her cell phone or PDA. Then she adds the appointment to the team calendar, which is printed and posted in the office so co-workers can keep track of each other. Finally, she adds it to the lead tracking sheet, call log, and activity log, and is looking forward to actually selling something instead of documenting it before the fact.

Then the client has to move the appointment out by an hour.

Our poor overworked salesperson has to re-do all those listings, and hopefully doesn’t forget one in the process. Many meetings have been missed because the rescheduling notification flow broke down before reaching all the participants. How much better would it be to make a single calendar entry and have everything else update automatically? Fortunately those capabilities exist today, through hosted Microsoft Exchange.

Using ActiveSync and Direct Push technology, your hosted Exchange Server can synchronize calendar information across a variety of devices- smart phones, handhelds and palmtops, as well as laptop and desktop PCs. Updates are relayed to everyone, whether they are at their desks or out in the field, and the days of missing the meeting because of crossed signals are over.
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