Mobility & Email Blog » Microsoft Exchange

Windows Phone 7 Roundup: New Features, Nokia Devices

Tim Attwood — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:00:37 +0000

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Set to Offer Sweet Features

For the better part of the last year, Microsoft has been working on its new Windows Phone 7.5, also known as “Mango”. Set to roll out the Mango update for all Windows phones by the end of September 2011, there is a great deal of speculation about which new devices will also come with 7.5 support built right in. So far, the Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T has been confirmed as a new handset that will come loaded with the update, and the HTC Titan and Radar have also been announced as taking advantage of Mango’s features from the get-go. Samsung, ASUS, Dell and Acer are all expected to come out with announcements of their own 7.5 phones as well.

In addition to a more streamlined interface and other quality of life improvements, the Mango update includes a number of enhancements to Bing, Microsoft’s search engine. First up is Bing Audio, which will function a great deal like Shazam and will let phone owners identify songs simply by placing their handsets near speakers. Bing Vision, meanwhile, will use the device’s camera that to scan barcodes, Microsoft tags, QR codes, CDs, DVDs and text. Scanning products will allow users to find prices for them both online and within their local area. Bing will also come with an updated maps interface and turn-by-turn navigation featuring voice directions. Support for multitasking, IE9 mobile and Twitter is also included in the Mango release. Windows phone email will be returning to all devices, allowing greater functionality and syncing of contact lists.

Nokia and the Windows Phone Rumors

One of the hottest rumors surrounding the Windows 7.5 update is that a Nokia phone will soon be launched using Mango. Nokia has now confirmed that their Windows 7.5 device will be released in Q4 2011 and that large volumes of the device would be pushed out in the early part of 2012. Details surrounding the new Nokia handset are still sketchy, but a “leaked” video released on June 30th, 2011 showed a phone called the “Sea Ray” with no physical keys and an indication that it might come with a swipe interface. This is in defiance of the mandate set down by Microsoft, which states that every Windows phone must have a physical Back, Home and Search button, and some speculate the special relationship between Microsoft and Nokia is what makes this possible.

A development video of the N9 from Nokia shows a similar button set and indicates that the Sea Ray may be very close in design. Expectations are that Nokia will have more secrets to reveal about its new Windows phone lineup at Nokia World 2011, which is set to take place on October 26, 2011. For now, those with a Windows device can look forward to an update by the end of November, and Nokia users should only have to wait a few months for a Mango phone.

Taking A Closer Look At Lookeen

Ozgur — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:45:51 +0000

Microsoft has been a standard in application development for a very long time. This software suite is improved upon by Microsoft from time to time, and it is currently the standard for most desktop email. The Outlook software is one of the best products on the market, but even the best application needs an occasional companion.

Outlook plugins are resourceful tools that are available for those users that are loyal to Outlook. Lookeen, for example, is the perfect mail search tool that makes Outlook an even better email application. The software is based on the concepts of email organization and time management. It is a plugin that brings both of these things together by maximizing email search efforts and minimizing the time that it takes to conduct the search. This optimizes daily productivity.

There are several outlook plugins available, but none have gained the type of fan base that Lookeen has acquired. The software is used by well-known companies like Kodak, HP, NASA, BP, and GE. This is just an abbreviated list of large customer base that enjoys the ability to search through huge amounts of email within seconds. This application supports the search of up to 100GB of data. This is much more than the average email user needs, but it is sufficient for power users that may tons of email to sort through.

Individuals that are in need of software that can support multiple versions of Outlook and Exchange Server platforms should consider what this application offers. It’s very quick and easy to install, and the trial version allows user to test drive the performance of this application before purchasing the full version.

Symbian OS for Smartphones: Microsoft Exchange Support

Ozgur — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:30:16 +0000

There are so many reasons why a pairing of Symbian OS and Microsoft Exchange is a good thing. Your Smartphone will do things you never thought it could with this powerhouse combination.

Symbian leads the way in Smartphone technology. Mobile messaging is now possible with Microsoft Exchange on Symbian Smartphones. Customers can enjoy the ease and security of push email that eliminates the need for hitting the refresh button and checking for new email.

For people who just want their email to work and arrive in their inbox right away, Microsoft Exchange is the way to go. With push email systems in place all emails come through at the time they are sent. They don’t have to sit on a server for hours until you refresh your system. You can also send email attachments and synch all your contacts and calendars with other emails.

You can make use of email flags with Microsoft Exchange. You can flag mail right from your handheld so that when you return to the office, you’ll remember what is most important. You’ll also get your mail faster. Attachments and connected messages in threads load up faster so you don’t have to go searching to review a conversation for details.

Those emails you sent weeks ago and now can’t find? They can be searched for and found easily with the Symbian Microsoft Exchange system. You don’t have to resync everything. Just start an online mailbox search.

You can do so much with the Microsoft Exchange platform. You can set your out of office message, revise your calendar and view your emails in HTML. Work on the go knowing you can open the files that are sent to you and also edit them at the same time. Gone are the worries that a file won’t open or is too big.

The future of the Smartphone is here. Microsoft Exchange is changing the face of how people do business. No longer are employees chained to their desktop. Mobile work situations are entirely possible and telecommuting will save the employee and the company valuable dollars. Now it no longer matters where you live. Work anywhere with a Smartphone and feel like you’re right in the loop with the people at headquarters. The Symbian OS Smartphone platform with Microsoft Exchange Support is changing the landscape of the business world for the better.

Android Email- Now that you have Exchange set up, what’s so great about it?

Ozgur — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:47:59 +0000

The benefits of using an Android phone are varied, but one main one for many is the fact that it offers the opportunity to use third-party applications to synchronize with Microsoft Exchange. This is important for so many as there has been a lot of discussion in the media about how poorly iPhone apps sync up with the server, and the open source nature of Android phones means that developers can tackle the problems head-on, without having to wait for scheduled updates and new releases.

Android has recently included built-in support for Microsoft Exchange, which can be configured through the native email client that comes with the phone. Android phones do vary slightly, but most Android 2.X models will work with a quick setup which is fairly easy to master. That said, there are still many people out there who get errors, glitches and end up turning to a third party developer to run their email client with.

This is a similar story to the iPhone, where support for Exchange is present, but the main battle for most is the setup. Despite this, once the process has been completely correctly, users can benefit from a number of factors. Firstly, all of the contacts, calendar aspects, notes and folders should be integrated with the system, meaning users can access their files from anywhere. Recent upgrades within the exchange system mean that Android users can reply to an email from their phone, and then view it as read on their desktop computer when they get into work. They can even check their messages from a web-based service and see the same sort of seamless synchronization, with icons illustrating what has been read, replied to and forwarded from any device at any time.

Exchange is mostly used in business, which is why setting it up on a mobile device is so important. Many Android users rely on their phone to send last minute reports, check the status of a meeting or find contact information in a hurry, which is why a reliable integration with the smartphone is so important. Microsoft have plenty of experience with what the working world needs, which is a main reason why the Exchange network is so popular in business. Very proficient third party apps like Touchdown also offer support for those who have a reason not to use the email client supplied with the Android phone, meaning Exchange is very accessible when needed.

Comparison of ActiveSync Across Different Platforms

Ozgur — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:30:27 +0000

When it comes to cell phones we have many choices and sometimes it may hard to make that choice. That is how it goes in life however and the best thing that we can do is gather enough information about the products we are thinking about buying and come up with an educated choice. One thing is that many people look at when it comes to cell phones is how well the work and how well they synchronize with other applications and devices. In order to really understand this, let’s look at the term ActiveSync. ActiveSync is a type of technology that was originally devolved by Microsoft and released in 1996. ActiveSync is a mobile data synchronization technology that helps to synchronize data and information. There are 2 major components of this. The first being the technology that does the synchronization of the date from the handheld device and another form of technology which is known as the Exchange ActiveSync or Eas.

The Exchange ActiveSync is a protocol that is licenses to many of the well-known cell phone companies that provide what some may call the smart phones. An example of this is the Apple iPhone and Google Android phones. What this exchange ActiveSync does is it provides a way for the messages to be relayed over HTTP. It will synchronize emails, messages, contacts and calendar event and even notes from some type of messaging server to a mobile device. Today most of the new phones that are hitting the market do use this and each phone will work a bit differently from the next.

When it comes to trying to compare the different types of Exchange ActiveSync from phone to phone one will need to have the understanding of what it is and what it does. The one way to make sure that one is getting the best ActiveSync they can is to check the models and the versions of the ActiveSync that they are using or that the phone they are using provides. With the ever changing technology and new advancements being made each day, one needs to stay on top of things. This is especially true in the world of cell phones and computers. Spend some time and read the reviews of all the different cell phones and do your homework when it comes to ActiveSync and Exchange ActiveSync.

Android Tablets vs. BlackBerry Playbook: Android Email Gets a Push

Ozgur — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:04:36 +0000

One of the biggest considerations when purchasing a smartphone or tablet PC is whether or not the device supports so-called “push” syncing, meaning that changes are downloaded and uploaded as soon as they are made. In the case of Android’s phones and tablets, push syncing has been included since day one and it has only gotten better in the time that has followed.

Android’s native tablet email application is a full-screen experience that integrates all email accounts into a single, unified email inbox. It also pulls in data from the operating system’s calendar and contacts application when required, providing a seamless email experience that doesn’t require switching between applications to complete a complex task. Unlike the BlackBerry PlayBook email app, which only supports BlackBerry Enterprise Servier, the line of Android tablets fully supports Exchange ActiveSync’s email, calendar, and contacts data sets. This feature alone is enough to make the PlayBook a thing of the past — before it’s even had a chance to break out into the market.

Android’s email application supports other technologies in addition to Exchange email. Users of traditional email accounts will find it easy and straightforward to setup accounts using POP, IMAP, and SMTP servers. And as with all of Android, these services are “push” technologies. IMAP updates are instant on both the tablet and the server, and pop emails are downloaded as soon as they arrive in the inbox — no delays, no waiting.

But the unified inbox isn’t the only push email feature on the phone. If you would rather not combine your work email with your personal email (which might be a smart choice, depending on how you use your personal email account), you can set up push email for Exchange in your Android Email application, and then setup the other email applications to handle your personal account. This keeps work and play separate, so you never inadvertently send the wrong email to the wrong person.

While the BlackBerry PlayBook email application integrates with BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which is a solid alternative to hosted Exchange email and the Exchange ActiveSync policies, it simply isn’t enough. Combine this with the PlayBook’s tentative support of 4G, versus Android tablets already shipping with chips that can pick up a 4G signal, and what you get is a less-than-stellar tablet experience from RIM.

Android has had ample time to mature; it’s true that the initial releases of the operating system had lackluster support for Exchange accounts. But in the world of enterprise business, there is no time to wait around for RIM to release a product or operating system that supports both BlackBerry Enterprise Server and Exchange. In this regard, Android is far superior.

HP Slate Introduces Tablets to Business (or Business to Tablets)

Ozgur — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:00:41 +0000

Ever since the release of Apple’s fast-selling iPad tablet device, competing manufacturers have been looking for a way to insert themselves into the market and grab a little bit of the customer frenzy for themselves. Hewlett-Packard decided to concentrate their efforts on a business-centric device that it made the HP Slate.

The HP Slate comes loaded with Windows 7 Professional instead of a special tablet-specific operating system. This allows it to be used just as any traditional Windows machine would be used, although the capacitive touchscreen and included stylus do change the way those tasks get completed. There is no pre-loaded software layer on the HP Slate. Instead, it comes with the bare bones, basic, and ready-to-use Windows 7 set of applications and control panels.

For those who are a little shaky with touchscreen keyboards, or simply want to take notes without having to feel around for the keys, the HP Slate comes with a stylus and has a built-in digitizer. This allows users to write on the screen and have their handwriting automatically turned into textual, typed-up notes like one would find in a Word document. This is a great feature for enterprise users, as the need to type or write quickly can arise without warning. This way, there’s no waiting around or uncertainty about the on-screen keyboard. Break out the stylus, and write!

The HP Slate email experience is as robust as you would expect it to be on any machine running Windows 7, tablet or not. Because it is loaded with full Windows 7 Professional and not a proprietary touch-centric operating system, it supports the full Microsoft Office 2010 suite of applications including Microsoft Outlook 2010. This means hosted exchange accounts will sync just as completely and easily as users are used to on their full Windows 7 desktops or laptops. Setup is largely automated by the wizards included with Microsoft Outlook. In addition, sending emails or updating calendars through hosted exchange accounts is even easier than on Apple’s iPad due to the inclusion of a stylus and a digitizer. Emails can literally be “written” by hand and sent through Outlook.

The HP Slate email and hosted exchange support is reason enough to forego the iPad for business and use this full Windows device instead. But add in the stylus, the digitizer, and the traditional touch features like an on-screen keyboard, and you’ve got a truly robust machine that can do all of the traditional office tasks in just about any non-traditional office setting.

iPad Software Update Unifies Email, Improves Efficiency

Ozgur — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:57:42 +0000

Apple’s iOS 4.2 software update enhances the iPad’s Email interface and allows the device to support multiple Exchange Activesync servers.

Thanks to the update, iPad Email inboxes are now combined into a unified inbox, displaying mail from all accounts side-by-side. Before iOS 4.2, iPad users were forced to navigate individual inboxes for each account they used. This required users to thumb through several screens in order to move from one inbox to another. The new unified inbox displays Email from all accounts in a single, chronological flow.

iPad Email has also been enhanced by threading together conversations. Replies and forwarded Emails with the same subject line are now nested into a single conversation. Opening this conversation displays all of these Emails in chronological order. Even conversations split across multiple accounts appear under one unified thread, allowing users to efficiency follow any thread of Emails.

iOS 4.2 has also endowed the iPad with the ability to support multiple Exchange Activesync servers. While enterprise customers have always been able to access Exchange Email and other services from within the iPad’s mail app, iOS 3 limited these customers to using no more than one Exchange Activesync account at a time.

While many businesses assign their employees only one Exchange ActiveSync account, Exchange Activesync is not necessarily limited to business use. Because Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync protocol is supported by Microsoft’s Hotmail, Google’s Gmail, Appleís MobileMe, and others, many users find themselves with more than one account distributed among these different Exchange Activesync services. The number of users that need access to more than one Exchange Activesync servers continues to grow as the technology matures and sees increased adoption throughout both the business and personal spheres, making the ability to use multiple accounts at once vital for many iPad users.

iOS 4.2 also includes Exchange Email from all Exchange ActiveSync accounts in the new unified inbox. This feature brings great relief for the average business user, who may receive upwards of one hundred Emails per day from any number of accounts. By uniting multiple Email accounts and Exchange Activesync servers into a single, efficient inbox, iOS 4.2 allows iPad users to make more effective use of their time.

Simply put, the upgrade from iOS 3 to iOS 4.2 affords iPad users a new, time-saving interface through which these users can access their Email and Exchange Activesync servers more efficiently than before.

Top 10 Reasons to Backup your Office Workstations Externally

Ozgur — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:34:22 +0000

What do you keep on your computer? Do you keep music or photos? Do you store documents and articles? What about taxes and other financial data? What ever you have on your computer, it is important to you and for sure, something you do not want to loose.

The solution for ensuring your files are never lost is to make back up files. When you back up your files, you pictures, financial and personal information, music, and all of your important data on your computer will never be lost. Hardware failures, freezes, and crashes do happen even under the most caution care. Be prepared for the worst!

If you have a large network with many servers and workstations, you should consider a network area storage. For smaller businesses, you can use removable hard drives. For home networks, external hard drives are excellent choices. You might consider two external hard drives: one kept at home, another kept some where safe, such as a safety deposit box. Flash drives are another option for single computers.

What are the top reasons you should back up your files? Well number one, the obvious reason would be to keep your files safe and assessable at all times.

Electrical power failures can be a computers worst nightmare. Power outages or failures can destroy a computer’s hard drive.

Viruses picked up from the Internet can wipe out your computer overnight. Without back up files, you may never see that information again.

Of course, don’t forget your hard drive has the possibility of failure. Hard drives do tear up and break.

What happens if you have a fire at your house? With an external hard drive, you can back up your files and store your external hard drive in a safe place away from your home, maybe in a safety deposit box.

In the event you computer or laptop is stolen, an external hard drive will have all your files saved. Your computer may be gone, but you important files will be saved.

Your operating system may fail.

Wrong software installation may cause a malfunction with your hard drive.

Computers may lock up for no apparent reason, or different applications may lock each other up.

Natural disasters may ruin your computer. A tornado ripped out the main power duct in a city not to long ago, causing every computer connected to the transformer grid to blow up, along with clocks, radios and TV’s.

Android Is Listening To Users: New Models Correcting Past Mistakes

Lucas — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:34:59 +0000

Android is one of the leading models of smartphone around, with many iPhone users transferring over to the Motorola phone and citing small improvements such as ‘non-obtrusive’ notifications, a more effective keyboard, and more freedom over customization and programming of apps. By the sounds of things, the Droid is really listening to smartphone users and working at full steam to correct past mistakes – something that the iPhone isn’t so good at.

The brains behind Android technology and marketing certainly have their fingers on the pulse. It was announced recently that Virgin Mobile would be selling the Samsung Intercept Android-powered smartphone. The deals are much better than previous attempts at the same thing by other companies, with an unlimited monthly plan with no lengthy contract to sign up to will set back the user a mere $60 – a price that beats many leading contract suppliers, with few disadvantages.

As with all anticipated phone releases, there had been a number of leaks before the actual release of the Droid 2 handset that made big news.

Firstly, photos of the new handsets were posted in a number of blogs over the internet, with comparisons being made to the original Droid handset. These comparisons suggested that there was little difference in the appearance of the Droid 2, including the same physical keyboard, screen size, and even battery and weight. The differences became apparent on the inside of the phone, however, when it was speculated that the Droid 2’s CPU would be almost twice the speed of its predecessor. This means that the 3G internet browsing capabilities will load web pages up to 40% faster than the original.

Droid is now a well-established name on the market, with the Droid Milestone (Droid), Droid 2 and Droid X all taking large market shares with their releases. The secret behind the success is Google’s open-source Android operating system, which within one year has seen numerous updates and further version releases to fix bugs and improve features on the handsets, notably tethering support, Microsoft Exchange support, and better multitasking features.

The operating system is designed so that phones supporting the system run seamlessly for business and leisure uses. Recent statistics show that the Android OS is the leader among smartphone OS handsets bought in the US, with 33% of the market share in 2010.

What do you think of the new android devices? What do you think is still missing from Android technology? Let us know by leaving a comment below.