Will the iPhone support Exchange Direct Push?

During the Jobsnote, Steve said that the iPhone would support many different email systems including Exchange -- and as we well know, the most precious Exchange feature to a mobile user is Direct Push, which allows your device to receive updates instantly for email and other data from your server. Steve did specifically mention that the iPhone would support Push-IMAP from Yahoo, but didn't mention any details about Exchange Direct Push like the Windows Mobile phones have. To many, this is the killer app for business users and it isn't too much of a stretch to believe that Apple could include it on the hot new iPhone. Exchange Direct Push is a Web Service that runs on the Outlook Web Access server; WM5 devices connect via HTTP and make calls for data and then leave port 80 open for updates from the server, keeping the device up-to-date just like a BlackBerry.

Because this is all done via HTTP, it is possible to reverse engineer the protocol -- in fact, Zimbra has already done this, and WM5 devices can sync with a Zimbra server the same way they would an Exchange 2003 sp2 server. Reverse engineering OWA WebDAV (an extension of HTTP that allows users to manage files on a Outlook Web Access server) service is also nothing new, as Ximian first did it almost 5 years ago with its app Evolution, bringing Exchange Server functionality to Linux. It is also not new for Apple, which has used it to sync OS X users' Apple Mail and Address Book with Exchange since OS X 10.3. Coincidentally, this is also how Microsoft's own Entourage connects to Exchange, versus using MAPI (Microsoft's Proprietary mail API) like Outlook. As important as up to the second email is to business users, we don't see how Apple could afford to leave this feature out.

[tf @ Jan 14th 2007 11:28PM]

You guys are getting real bad.

Jobs specifically said that since the iPhone supports IMAP and POP if the IMAP option is selected then it can connect to Exchange.

This is the only way, for the time being, it can connect to Exchange.

Yes, Apple can overlook this. Yes, people can whine about this, but it's not going to hurt Apple.

The MacBU has been able to barely get this to function properly over several years on OS X.

[Sean O'Brien @ Jun 27th 2007 8:28PM]

You are mistaken in that this can be easily done. I am an Exchange Admin and I cannot get my CFO to open the ports for IMAP4 (not unlike many businesses). In turn you MUST use direct-push in order to acces mail on a phone from our Exchange server. That is the predominant way users connect and we only let people use IMAP on-site and inside the firewall. All outside access is via vpn or OWA for obvious security reasons.........

[Matt @ Nov 20th 2007 12:43PM]

I had the same problem and I wouldnt even go down the road of trying to convince my IT admins it was ok to open up IMAP or POP... so I developed a little wrapper that seems to work very well. Still early in development but please give it a try:

http://www.calypsodev.com

[marty @ Jan 14th 2007 11:30PM]

i think it sucks that the iphone wont have any office capability. steve jobs better add that feature. and plus, i know im just throwing random comments out here, but i would like to see just a true video ipod, 80 gigs would be great, also slingbox compatibilty. now that would be a machine!

[JerkyChew @ Jan 14th 2007 11:40PM]

IIRC, when Jobs mentioned Exchange support during the keynote, he followed it up with "via IMAP" or some such disclaimer. As in, "It will support Exchange Server but only if the Exchange server has IMAP enabled."

You say that Apple can't afford to leave this out, but I say just the opposite - Apple can't afford to support this at launch time. Launching this foreign a device to this large a market is going to be a monumental task in itself - Apple doesn't need vast legions of corporate execs and the like swarming in on launch day. Remember that iTunes didn't come out for Windows until what, version 5 or something? Not exactly the same scenario, but it's the same idea: Apple started with a smaller group of people to support first, figured out what the hell they were doing, and then threw open the floodgates to the Windows crowd.

Early adopter + Exchange Server = loud, vocal executive. You know the type, they're the ones with Treos while the rest of the office has Blackberries (or nothing at all). But they can, because they run the show. And IME they're the most vocal of the corporate bunch. You do not want this group of people yelling and screaming that they can't get their corporate calendars, because they'll yell and scream to everybody within earshot, which is usually a pretty powerful bunch.

If Apple's smart, and for the past few years they have been, they'll iron out the kinks with the iPhone using the standards they've announced, and maybe worry about Exchange / BES connectivity for rev 3 or so. Or they'll open the APIs just enough (Jobs' recent comments notwithstanding) to allow some third parties to create the iPhone-to-MAPI conduits, so that they'll have a scapegoat when all hell breaks loose.

Another issue in this age of Sarbaanes-Oxley is compliance; Admins need a way to keep the data that's on mobile devices out of the hands of Teh Bad Men if the phone is lost or stolen. With Exchange the phone can be remotely wiped, and I believe that BES has a similar functionality, but they're very proprietary, and I'm not aware of any third-party conduits like ActiveSync, et al supporting this feature.

Or, perhaps this is Jobs' master plan, to get MS and RIM in a bidding war for the APIs - Build the hype, and then sell it to the big two at a hefty premium. He's gotta keep to his 50% profit margin somehow, right?

[James Brown @ Jan 14th 2007 11:41PM]

Windows Mobile has a 10% market share while Blackberry has 46%... If you want to compare iPhone to true business Phones, compare it to a Blackberry not those inferior Microsoft only devices.

[Intrepid @ Jan 15th 2007 12:41AM]

Microsoft announced at CES that they now outsell blackberry internationally. Your stats seem way off from what I see in business.

[IWantTouchScreen @ Jan 15th 2007 12:06AM]

Ummm, thanks for the tech doc.. obviously apple could reverse engineer the thing. Apple isn't really going for the enterprise yet, and they'd probably want to license the protocol rather than do anything that might wake the vole's lawsuits.

Sounds like the OP wants an iPhone but won't be able to sync with his exchange server. In time, dude, it'll happen. But realize what a lot of tech folk are starting to slowly understand: the iPhone is NOT a smartphone.

[impressme @ Jan 15th 2007 12:09AM]

How about Lotus Domino?

:o)

[2Perfect @ Jan 15th 2007 12:10AM]

I'm not an apple fan at all (in fact I hate apple, mainly because of a guy I used to work with who talked about it all the time)

But you should remember this is an iPhone. Not an iPDA or iPod Phone or anything. It's mainly a phone. If you want extra features, go get a real handheld, or better yet get a laptop :P people should be happy it comes with an iPod built in ;)

[Yeah? @ Jan 15th 2007 6:41AM]

For $600 it should come with a blue-ray player.

[[e-mail] @ Oct 29th 2007 4:09PM]

"I'm not an apple fan at all (in fact I hate apple, mainly because of a guy I used to work with who talked about it all the time)

But you should remember this is an iPhone. Not an iPDA or iPod Phone or anything. It's mainly a phone. If you want extra features, go get a real handheld, or better yet get a laptop :P people should be happy it comes with an iPod built in ;)"

Are you kidding! after using this "phone", I have come to see it is 90% apps and 10% phone (especially if you have 3rd party installers such as Apptap). Today's cell phones are made with the intention of cramming as many cool applications as they can into it. The industry is not about making a reliable phone, they have already perfected that. It is now the industry of making a phone with as many cool applications as possible. It's commonplace for the market to want a reliable phone, we expect that. We look at different carriers (ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile) for reliability in the phone part but we look for suppliers (samsung, nokia, LG)when purchasing a phone. We want the smallest, sleekest, most advanced phone on the market.... hence, the iPhone.

[2Perfect @ Oct 30th 2007 12:48AM]

But still it's an iPhone. Until it gets called something else, its function is to provide wireless communication.

I know most new phones have everything. But the fact that they're still called phones and not media centers means that a phone with nothing else is still a phone :D

[chuck @ Jan 15th 2007 12:16AM]

ok, enough with the endless iPhone stories already. there must be other things to write about until we get closer to a release date and have actual product to review.

[Anthony @ Jan 15th 2007 12:27AM]

I agree w/ Chuck - These are like non-stories. Plus, I don't think that the success of the iPhone depends on suits @ the airport cramping their thumbs.

[Ryan @ Jan 15th 2007 12:18AM]

When i heard it i figured it just meant the iPhone support the IMAP 'IDLE' command, wherein the server notifies the client that there is new mail rather than the client polling the server. While it sounds similar to how a BB works it is quite different as the client still needs to keep an open connection to the IMAP server to wait for the notify, using up the battery the whole time. BB's don't keep that open connection open and get notified from the RIM servers when a new mail arrives (think of it as getting a SMS), thus saving battery time.

[applesucksLeo @ Jan 15th 2007 12:31AM]

The Mac computer was also supposed to be revolutionary in 1984 and it still hasn`t bested 2% worldwide market share. I see this phone being a niche phone within a niche area of the cell phone market.
And if you really want to see how this silly device is already causing much resentment of Apple...you must read this link.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/mobiles--handhelds/fiasco-over-copycat-iphone-skins/2007/01/15/1168709656280.html

[Johnny @ Jan 15th 2007 12:31AM]

What's with all the weird italics?

[Hugh Jass @ Jan 15th 2007 12:42AM]

WTF is with the ridiculous italics in this long-winded, short-on-news article? Sounds like Ben is just trying to show off his knowledge of Exchange server. (Although I've got a hunch he probably just got his info from Wikipedia.)

At any rate, Jobs only said it would only support Exchange if it had IMAP support.

"As important as up to the second email is to business users, we don't see how Apple could afford to leave this feature out."
I'm not so sure the iPhone is being marketed towards business users in the first place. It's not a smartphone, and it's far too media-centric for a corporate phone. Also, I believe I read that businesses won't get discount pricing.

Slow day, Engadget?

[Atrian @ Jan 15th 2007 12:43AM]

Does it have syncML support, remote sync, PIM sync with open standard services like http://zyb.com/ and http://funambol.com etc. It is becoming pretty basic nowadays. case iphone supports this i can switch over from my present phone using Zyb and that would be it!

[nicleT @ Jan 15th 2007 12:44AM]

Hey, did any iPhone-hands-on reviewers pressed on the "Settings" button? Maybe there's some answer under the hood!

[techgardens @ Jan 15th 2007 12:58AM]

I could be wrong but I believe that as long as Apple implement the imap push standard it should support push mail from any source (including exchange) as long as the source server has imap push enabled

I've used imap push with my corporate exchange server happily using a range of Nokia handsets.

Cheers,
John
http://www.techgardens.com

[Ryo @ Jan 15th 2007 4:02AM]

The simple question for me is: Do the iPhone and it's music capabilities support GNU/Linux ?

If not, no deal for me.

http://www.wiredearth.eu

[Panther_V @ Jan 15th 2007 4:10AM]

Oh we have so apple fanboy getting angery !! relax... News media bag out any company does wrong with their product. Like PS3 , Vista , Zune and now Iphone.

[netposer @ Jan 15th 2007 8:32AM]

This is why the Blackberry will remain King in corporate America. There's hasn't been anything better in over 6 years. The BB just works and it works well.

The BB is simple and intuitive.

With the BB Enterprise Server we can take a vanilla BB and within minutes sync it wirelessly with our BB Ent server and the user has his/her Exchange email on the BB.

The BB is secure and can be 'wiped' remotely if lost/stolen.

[Munitalp @ Jan 15th 2007 8:57AM]

Apple isnt trying to be "King" of corporate America, if they were the iPhone would be full of planners, excel, word, powerpoint and other business applications/programs. They are going after the average consumer, who uses an iPod and likes a simple to use innovative phone.

From their track record, when Apple enters a new market it sticks to the simple at first. Apple will probably start out with the iPhone (limited push e-mail, very tightly controlled applications, etc) then eventually they will expand to other markets.

[ChiliPepper92 @ Jan 15th 2007 9:28AM]

Well... this is great design and an awesome interface and the apple-ness it needs. But it's gonna get pushed off stage.
2.0MP? Come on!!
No 3G?
No Office compatibility?
No GPS?
Not even games?
Cingular only?
900-1000$?
You should do better apple, this is kinda poopy. But I still believe this is gonna F-L-Y off the shelves.
I really don't wanna be bashing this thing becuz I thought it was REALLY hot when I first saw it, and I still feel like I can't resist it... but this is just not crackin' it.
By the way I love apple! =)

[Larry Osterman @ Jan 15th 2007 10:50AM]

Umm.. IMAP is an internet standard that long predates Exchange. Exchange has supported IMAP since Exchange 5.5.

Also, I don't know what "PUSH-IMAP" is, but IMAP has had a facility similar to what you describe called "IDLE", which has been supported since 1998.

[len @ Jan 15th 2007 10:51AM]

What does it matter? Without third-party software, it will never have a strong enterprise presence, so most of its users won't need to sync to Exchange.

[Frank @ Jan 15th 2007 10:55AM]

Ofcourse it will support Exchange... Thats a no brainer. And the iphone will have an office app. but it will be Apple's version.

[Kev @ Jan 15th 2007 11:36AM]

Has anyone considered that Jobs said nothing about Leopard features (either client or server) and that many of the general terms he mentioned during the keynote related to the iPhone could become more detailed over the next 5+ months? I am amazed at how many media outlets are attempting to determine a product that is probably not even finalized yet. Why don't you wait until it is released and then decide if you want it or not? 5+ months is an eternity on the technology timeline.

[mcepat @ Jan 15th 2007 11:50AM]

@netposer

Sorry netposer you are incoorect, BB seems very dated compared to WM5 it looks like old palm software very 90's

"This is why the Blackberry will remain King in corporate America. There's hasn't been anything better in over 6 years. The BB just works and it works well."

Its not king anymore, look at any surveys and stats, windows mobile as far more market share, even palm had to release WM5 on there units, why? they were desperate and there OS was going nowhere.

"The BB is simple and intuitive."

Yup so is my WM5, its very easy and simple to use right out of the box, everything is clear and easy and have never had anyone have a problem using any of the features when I give them my phone to play with

"With the BB Enterprise Server we can take a vanilla BB and within minutes sync it wirelessly with our BB Ent server and the user has his/her Exchange email on the BB."

Ya I really liked running that crappy BB server software that crashed all the time and always gave us issues, luckily the last of the BB users left the company now I am able to use the exchange 2003 right out of the box functionality, no added software its builtin in and best of all now crazy prices to pay like for BB server, been running it now for about 3 years with absolutely no issues, "it justs works"

"The BB is secure and can be 'wiped' remotely if lost/stolen."

Yup I can do that to with exchange 2003.

Got any more false claims?

[mcepat @ Jan 15th 2007 11:56AM]

"we can take a vanilla BB and within minutes sync it wirelessly with our BB Ent server and the user has his/her Exchange email on the BB."

forgot about this comment, I picked up a Cingular 3125 last week, added the server, username and password and in about 5 minutes I wirelessly synced all my exchange mail to the device??

sorry I am just not getting the BB claims? WM5 can do all that and actually better, direct push too?

[idl3mind @ Jan 15th 2007 1:33PM]

who's to say that Good doesn't port Good Messaging over to OS X? or blackberry?

[99 @ Jan 15th 2007 8:37PM]

I don't get the Zimbra reference. I don't think Zimbra even supports active sync. They have a connector for WM5, but that's a long way from reverse engineering active sync. The only group that I have ever heard of that even attempted to figure out the Exchange protocols is PostPath. That's how they make Blackberry work. Its the same for WM5 and active sync. Anyway, I heard from their webinar a few weeks ago that they had a reverse engineered version active sync running in the lab.

[Chris @ Jan 15th 2007 9:05PM]

HTTP is the way to go. Although, Apple doesn't do it in Mail.app... they should, but they don't. I expect a similar setup to what mail.app is now. Exchange support as long as IMAP is turned on (google it) and must be through a vpn if the ports aren't forwarded out past the firewall.

I am a huge apple fanboy who runs a prepress department, but if there is not exchange push (either HTTP or VPN), they lost a customer in me for the iPhone.

[Robert @ Jan 16th 2007 8:43AM]

I expect that Cingular will be the ones that enable direct push for a fee of course, it will probably not be the go it alone system that many of us expect. I remember in the comments from the Keynote that there would be a special data plan for the "iPhone". That data plan will probably be a premium data plan that doesn't use the Cingular proxy server that auto directs you to their substitution webpages and will allow Cingular to push out your email for you. Expect to pay a premium price for the plan.

[Tarcy @ Jan 31st 2007 5:56AM]

Does anyone know what the protocol RIM BB and Microsoft Push is using? Is it IMAP? Or both uses proprietary protocol?
And RIM BlackBerry Connect is available on WM5 devices as well. :)
Thanks.

[Eric Bechtel @ Jun 13th 2007 11:08AM]

Guys, I'm a CTO and the last thing I want is to manage IMAP connectivity to an Exchange Server. Could you imagine explaining to some medium-level cattle-esque executive how to connect to an IMAP server?

On an off-topic comment, I've actually started firing people for making such comments: "Listen, I'm a sales guy not a brain like you. I don't have time to read your instructions. You're going to have to hook this thing up for me."

FIRED.

Anyways, the only way I would justify purchasing these (even if the company owner demanded one) was if ActiveSync or Blackberry Push existed on it and had a fairly comparable interface. For business (or even entertainment) purposes there's nothing in this phone that doesn't exist in a smart phone, blackberry or pocket pc.

[moonRaker @ Jun 21st 2007 9:50AM]

The CTO can fire sales people? Wow. Nice company structure there. Can the VP Sales fire network admins? Can the receptionist fire engineers?

[John @ Sep 24th 2008 2:12PM]

You're really making a mistake if you think this setup is difficult in any way. It takes about 5 minutes. It's much easier than setting up a BlackBerry server. As you can see from my comment below, though, Apple in no way supports true push from Exchange. It simply set the phone to poll nearly constantly for new mail. I know this to be the case, as the Exchange server has NO information about the phone, so it can't possibly know to where it should push messages. They are delivered only after a request from the phone, and setting it to "push" drops battery time to about 15% of what it is when you set it to poll every 30 minutes.

[Em @ Jul 5th 2007 1:56PM]

hi - quick question - how in the world do I enable "BCC" header on the e-mail feature on the iPhone? I looked and looked, and got frustrated. LOL Also how do I get all my contacts into one group pack - or if I wanted to e-mail everyone all at once in BCC header...is there a size limit to how many contacts can be grouped into one before sending? Your help is greatly appreciated!

[Antonio @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:44PM]

I totally agree with Engadget, this is THE killer app for iPhone users that don't want to use an iPhone and a Blackberry. I just want to use one device, and unfortunately iPhone doesn't support Exchange Active Sync.

[David Boreham @ Sep 17th 2007 10:02PM]

As a few posters have said, various folks have implemented the WM/Exchange OTA activesync protocol (including my company and Zimbra and Kerio). However, unless the iPhone supports some sort of sync protocol for PIM data, it won't be possible to sync it with Exchange over-the-air. If it did support some sync protocol (e.g. syncml or a CalDAV extension), then someone could make a gateway to the Exchange sync protocol.

(e-mail, as others have said is quite well supported via IMAP and whoever says they can't open the ports needs some 're-education' :) Windows Mobile devices themselves (as opposed to the iPhone) have additional functionality (e.g. signed and secure messaging) available only via activesync that is not implemented for IMAP. This however is a WM issue, not a limitation in IMAP itself.

[Matt @ Nov 15th 2007 6:23PM]

If you cant get your IT admins to open up the IMAP or POP3 ports on exchange, you can use POP3 wrapper for Outlook Web Access: http://www.calypsodev.com

[Duke @ Jan 28th 2008 10:01AM]

I consider myself a fairly typical mobile user. Being in high travel sales I need 3 simple things from my mobile device; voice, push email, wireless calendar sync... anything else is gravy.

Currently a blackberry user but I will be first in line when the iPhone can support seamlessly support these functions w/ exchange.

Whether it is MS active sync or a full featured BB extension (Nokia had licensed with RIM a BB extension for the 9300 (and others, 6822) but didn't seem well supported) it has to be solid, well supported, transparent.

How anyone can say Apple doesn't need this is beyond me if you want to entice any type of business user. Not going to carry two devices...

Duke.

[John @ Sep 24th 2008 1:15PM]

This is false advertising from Apple. Their "push" functionality is not "push" at all. When setting this up, the server is not given any information whatsoever about your phone, so it can't possibly know where to push email to. All Apple has done is set the iPhone to poll way, way too often for updates such as new mail. This drops battery life tremendously. In my case, it dropped from 3 days to 8 hours. BlackBerry does use push, and that's why they require software on your PC or on a BlackBerry server.