Database Users

XDA II will have blackberry functionnality?

My IT manager has informed me that the XDA II will have blackberry capabilities once "O2 implement some changes to their servers" , which will apparently happen somewhere after X-mas.
Anybody else heard of this?

It was my impression, from something I read I believe, that the functionality comes from both 2003 mobile upgrade, and microsoft .net (2003) exchange server. Basically I was lead to believe that if you have say MS exchange server .net or 2003 what ever it is officially called, and a pocket pc phone running 2003 mobile the blackberry type functions can be had.

RIM client is being shipped in new O2 XDA II firmware next year. This means you can use it with RIM BES servers to deliver push E-mail.
This will not give the true Blackberry experience though as the carriers have only licensed a portion of the BES solution and it's functionality is limited. There is no push calendar, contacts etc. etc. and the configuration aspects are limited on PPC2003.
Good for marketing purposes but pretty much useless in my view in an enterprise deployment. It's my understanding that the RIM BES support is a firmware only solution and you will not be able to add extra functionality without the carrier licencing it and delivering it to you in ROM form.

The RIM BES is done with software. So in theory it could be implemented on the XDA II. However the BES is not cheep!!
It would be good to see if an XDA II could get the seamless e-mail connection that the Blackberry does. However the Blackberry is not a particularly good phone and when I last looked did not support SMS but P2P. If they can get over the technical aspect and the cost of the BES it would be great and I for one would perches the service in a second.
Gil.

Yes it can
the xmail software can be used to match what blackberry can provide - you will need a computer permanently linked to the network (either yours or a shared machine)

A T-Mobile manager in San Francisco explained it this way: The combination of the new Pocket PC Phone Edition 2003 software on your PDA and new mail server software (undoubtedly Exchange Server 2003, although she didn't say), lets email show up on your PDA without you having to check for it manually, just like SMS messages do. If that's what you mean by Blackberry capabilities, then it looks like everyone who has or upgrades to Pocket PC Phone Edition 2003 and gets email from an updated Exchange Server will have "Blackberry capability." She explained that the mail server will send a specially coded SMS message to your PDA (which you will never see) which will notify the OS that there is email waiting to be downloaded. The PDA will then automatically initate a download of the email. From your perspective, it will seem that the email will simply show up -- a la with a Blackberry device.

It is Exchange 2003 and Windows Mobile 2003 combo. You can set Active Sync to sync "as new items arrive" option. This option sends a special email via SMS to your phone to pull the new data. So, it becomes very close to Blackberry RIM, I love it. It saves my time to check for new messages on the road.

People are confusing two capabilities here
RIM / Blackberry INBOX software is rumored to be shipping with / in the XDA II firmware sometime in '04 (might be available now). This would allow EITHER a RIM desktop redirector OR a Blackberry Enterprise Server to wireless synchronize Exchange email with the XDA II. The BES option is much better than the 'redirector' as it doesn't require a PC to be constantly running redirecting email for every user doing this (dumb approach).
There are multiple "Blackberry Like" capabilities that support the XDA II that some of you have been referring too. Microsoft new 'titanium' / Exchange uses SMS (dumb approach) to wake up the XDA II and 'tell it' to come pick up it's mail, calendar, etc. SMS is costly in some cases, and not guaranteed message protocol in all cases.
Other ISV's are developing / have developed 'Berry like' capability for XDA II -- Synchrologoc, Extended Systems, Sybase iAnywhere, others.
Most of these take the same approach as described above by Microsoft -- some are a bit more clever approach that uses TCP/IP as the underlying Push notification vs. SMS -- which makes them alot more flexible and reliable.
NET-net: There are two options to achieving the Pushed email / PIM to the XDA II: via RIM / Blackberry approach, or via the MS / ISV approach described above.
Make sense? FYI: I know this because I am the RIM product mgr for my company, and have been exploring some of the options that are RIM-like with other device and platforms.
jpd

There are 3rd party solutions that allow for this kind of thing also. We are currently using Synchrologic Email Accelerator to do true IP push to our WM2003 devices. The device polls the server to see if new messages are there and pulls them down if there are any new items. Email, Contacts, Tasks...any of your PIM items are "pushed" (it actually appears to be a pull, but oh well) without SMS messaging taking place.
I guess my point is that this is WM2003 capability, not necessarily XDA II. You can have this "blackberry experience" today if you use the right software. Granted, its not cheap, but I know our mobile users love it.
-wurd up

wurdipus said:
There are 3rd party solutions that allow for this kind of thing also. We are currently using Synchrologic Email Accelerator to do true IP push to our WM2003 devices. The device polls the server to see if new messages are there and pulls them down if there are any new items. Email, Contacts, Tasks...any of your PIM items are "pushed" (it actually appears to be a pull, but oh well) without SMS messaging taking place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but the device has to be on to do this, right? I mean to "poll" the server, your PPC has to be turned on, right?
With the Exchange Server method, it will send the SMS which will cause your PPC to wake up, dl the email, and tell you "you've got mail".
-arebelspy

your PDA is never actually off unless you let the battery die. When you turn it "off" the screen just blanks to save battery. I agree, SMS message wakeup is a stupid and wasteful approach.

Exchange security policy

I've read a few threads after searchign on Android and Exchange but can't really find what I'm after.
I need to enforce a security policy if users want to sync their exchange account. There's a few people in the office who want Android devices (we provide them with a device) but until there's somethign which enforces something along the lines fo a PIN after 20 mins ala WinMo then we can't do it.
Anyone have any ideas if it's coming or if there's an app to do it? I've tried Touchdown but just seems the same as the Hero Exchange app to me.

I've not tried Touchdown, but they say they support PIN enforcement.
http://www.nitrodesk.com/dk_touchdownFeatures.aspx
Regards,
Dave

Yes, Touchdown and Roadsync both support the PIN function (they ignore it somehow, as android doesn't have a PIN function!)
although i do believe that it is technically possible to exclude individual accounts from the policy on the server (although not exactly the best idea in terms of security).
Alternatively, just do what we did at work and say 'No, you cannot have an Android Phone for your Work Phone'.

Since the ROM update on the HTC hero, I have been able to access my work email (a massive highly secured company who generally know what they are doing) and I know for a fact that they enforce this kind of security arangement on mobiles that want to connect - however android has somehow got around this and there is no remote enforcement and I can use my phone for these emails via PUSH. (I use the gesture lock as a password) You could get them to sign an agreement that they will apply this kind of thing to their phone manually. I don't know if there is an app for remote wipe.

Your company isn't allowing you in some backdoor or anything... depending on their version of exchange they are simply allowing you to use activesync through exchange.
What we all really need is an andriod client to take advantage of exchange 2007's exchange web services protocol, activesync is old technology and limited.
O.P. - You can limit users on a single user basis, if you're running windows active directory. Need a little more info on what you are trying to accomplish. If you're allowing them to use their mail client setup they are saving a password that is not clear text and is hashed... you can install a remote wipe on the phone and if they lose it, simply wipe it and forget it.

Android devices in coroporate environments

Hi,
I´m a recent user of an Android device with now the last Official Donut ROM.
As a mobile device it is performing very nice and I like the interface (and the whole concept) a lot. However for utilization in a corporate environment it is almost useless at least in my case. Let me explain:
In a common standard company an employee when it sits at his desk he/she:
- Starts is desktop/laptop PC
- Starts his mail client that in the vast majority of cases will be Microsoft Office Outllook client that either connects to a Microsoft Exchange mail Server or to any other kind of mail server (merak, etc.)
- Then he will access to his mails, to his contacts, to his calendar and to his tasks that all of them are stored locally in Outlook files. (Well, if the server is an Exchange server they can be stored only in the server itself). In the case of Exchange normally the connection forces to use and to install a certificate in the client.
- The he will open documents from the Microsoft Office Suite i.e. Word, Excel, Power Point.
- Eventually the employee will move from his desk and i.e. attends a meeting where he can access a corporate WIFI network that in the vast majority of sites will have a proxy.
With a mobile device I would need:
- Sync locally with the desktop the contacts, calendar and tasks
- Surf the WEB using the corporate WIFI network
- Configure an Exchange account that forces to install a certificate
- Read (and eventually modify Word or Excel documents)
With my current Android device this is what it happens:
- I can sync using HTC Sync only the contacts (as calendar is only supported if your account is Exchange)
- I cannot surf the WEB as ther is no support for WiFI proxy.
- I cannot configure an Exchange account as ther is no way of importing/installing a certificate
- In order to modify Office documents I need to pay for an app.
I would appreciate if somebody:
- Has encountered same problems as me
- Has any clue about the eventual fix of this issues
I apologize for the long post. Many thanks in advance

Joaquin Marcide said:
Hi,
I´m a recent user of an Android device with now the last Official Donut ROM.
As a mobile device it is performing very nice and I like the interface (and the whole concept) a lot. However for utilization in a corporate environment it is almost useless at least in my case. Let me explain:
In a common standard company an employee when it sits at his desk he/she:
- Starts is desktop/laptop PC
- Starts his mail client that in the vast majority of cases will be Microsoft Office Outllook client that either connects to a Microsoft Exchange mail Server or to any other kind of mail server (merak, etc.)
- Then he will access to his mails, to his contacts, to his calendar and to his tasks that all of them are stored locally in Outlook files. (Well, if the server is an Exchange server they can be stored only in the server itself). In the case of Exchange normally the connection forces to use and to install a certificate in the client.
- The he will open documents from the Microsoft Office Suite i.e. Word, Excel, Power Point.
- Eventually the employee will move from his desk and i.e. attends a meeting where he can access a corporate WIFI network that in the vast majority of sites will have a proxy.
With a mobile device I would need:
- Sync locally with the desktop the contacts, calendar and tasks
- Surf the WEB using the corporate WIFI network
- Configure an Exchange account that forces to install a certificate
- Read (and eventually modify Word or Excel documents)
With my current Android device this is what it happens:
- I can sync using HTC Sync only the contacts (as calendar is only supported if your account is Exchange)
- I cannot surf the WEB as ther is no support for WiFI proxy.
- I cannot configure an Exchange account as ther is no way of importing/installing a certificate
- In order to modify Office documents I need to pay for an app.
I would appreciate if somebody:
- Has encountered same problems as me
- Has any clue about the eventual fix of this issues
I apologize for the long post. Many thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is in the wrong section. Should be in general.
This is a development thread.

Joaquin Marcide said:
- I cannot surf the WEB as ther is no support for WiFI proxy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no such thing as "wifi proxy". You can however configure HTTP proxy on your phone via ADB.
- I cannot configure an Exchange account as ther is no way of importing/installing a certificate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Connect to Exchange server with certificate via IMAP with TLS.
- In order to modify Office documents I need to pay for an app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pay for the Office document editing application.

Get an HTC branded ROM instead of the regular Google one, all the features you require are implemented on those...

Amon_RA said:
Get an HTC branded ROM instead of the regular Google one, all the features you require are implemented on those...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second this, Drop donut and goto a Hero rom. This has all the features provided by HTC that you are seeking.

moved to general discussion

Many thanks for your promt answers.
Ridelin: Apologies for not posting in the right place.
Super Jamie: Proxy: I agree but probably you will agree with me that configuring via ADB is not the easiest way for a non Linux Expert/Developper.
Exchange: In my company the IMAP access is disabled.
Office: For sure, but I would prefer to save for a dinner.
Amon_RA: Can you recommend me one of them (donut version, spanish linguage) ?

Joaquin Marcide said:
Amon_RA: Can you recommend me one of them (donut version, spanish linguage) ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll not find a donut HTC branded sapphire yet... you'll need to wait a while for those.
For cupcake roms I recommend you to NOT use those ported HERO Roms. They will run slow on sapphire devices and are actually just ported to show off with the sense interface (which is not yet released for the sapphire). They are definitely not suited to be used in a corporative environment.
I advice you to look for a stable HTC sapphire rom which has the HTC framework (so full exchange support).

Thanks Amon_RA.
Where can I find those ROMS? Looking in XDA and on Internet all ROMs seem to be either Google or Hero ports. I did not manage to find "HTC branded Sapphire" . By the way my device is a Vodafone Magic Spain with:
Mode number HTC Magic
Base Band version: 62.505.20.17H2.222.19.261
Kernel version: 2.6.29-TheOfficial [email protected] 2
Emomther Mod by [email protected]
Fastboot info:
SAPHIRE PVT 32B
HBOOT 1.33.2005 (SAPP10000)
Radio 2.22.19.61

Roadsync will sync with exchange servers.
http://www.dataviz.com/products/roadsync/android/index.html
Documents to Go will give you access to word, excel docs.
http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/android/

If you install the cyanogen rom to your phone it gives you an app called work email. This lets you connect to the microsoft exchange server to get your email
As for word documents and the like check out an application called quickoffice:
http://www.quickoffice.com/quickoffice_android/
I can't find it on the android market so you must have to get it direct from their site.
edit: Also I think wifi proxy works with the rom. I think the wifi at my uni is via proxy. Before I installed the rom I could not connect, afterwards I could. Let me know how it goes for you.

WiMo 6.5 - custom port for exchange sync?

Hi,
we are currently using active sync to sync a couple of mobiles with MS Exchange 2007 (via UMTS). We also do the same thing with our customers mobiles but with Exchange 2003. Unfortunately we do not use the standard port numbers to connect the mobiles via active sync because our network administrator becomes a total basketcase when using Microsoft standards over the internet .
Anyways... is there any chance to get active sync to work without using the standard ports in Windows Mobile 6.5? I know that it didn't work with previous versions. Symbian and iPhone OS on the other hand do work under the described conditions. So there should be a way
Bastian

Anybody?
During the weekend I did a complete search through the registry of a HTC P4350 with a custom WM 6.5 ROM but there was nothing which was at least close to a custom active sync port...

Won't work on custom ports
Use VPN tunnel and then sync with port 80 or 443
or buy iPhone (my.domainname.com:9999)

That's what I assumed but thanks anyway.
I already thought about the VPN solution but since we're using a Cisco VPN with RSA token authentication, that won't be that user friendly
I actually own an iPhone which works perfectly with MS Exchange and a custom port but one of our customers thinks about buying a HTC HD2. So he might have to get rid of the idea... too bad MS

This does look bad for droid
For all the talk of droid using Linux and being customizable, it's crazy you can't even enter a corporate or Exchange port. I used an iPhone and set them up fine for work, works great. You can synch calendars and contacts if you want. On replies it pulls work contacts while keeping them separate since I don't want the contact sync with my personal. You can even navigate email folders, real business class stuff. The droid doesn't let you enter an exchange port, just checks standard ports then throws an error. There are apps you can get that let you enter a port in but none of them seem to see any folder but the inbox. In a world of security issues and choices, this makes droid email less customizable and therefore less professional for the corporate exchange user, and I'd think the opposite, that the iPhone would be the strict one that didn't give options to do what you need.
This would be a very big obstacle to business-class use. This is over a year old. Is it still an issue with Windows phones too? It's an issue on the droid as of 03/2011. On the iPhone, when the automatic exchange setup fails, you manually enter the server with your open port number like serverort and bingo, awesome synch and Exchange integration. I didn't even know other phones couldn't do this, and I'm not sure if it's a Windows Mobile issue too or just the droid.
Is it possible that Windows and Android phones can't do this, while iPhone and Apple have the options to make non-standard secure Microsoft Exchange ports work correctly out of the box?

[Q] Exchange Questions

My Mom is thinking about getting the Driod X. Her company said that only the iPhone and blackberries will sync with their exchange server. She currently has a blackberry now but it is not hooked up to the email server because they are making her pay the $15 a month for the corporate email. She would like to get her email without the extra cost so she is thinking about an android phone.
From my reading 2.2 fully supports exchange now but when the Verizon store called my mom's IT department to set up her email for her they said that it and all other Android phones are not supported. Needless to say she canceled that purchase.
My question is, is this true? If it is then are their ways around this?
I have an Evo and it works with my exchange server but I am pretty sure my company allows non provisioned devices to sync.

All lies. Just sounds like her IT department just doesn't want to support her and her Android.
If she knows how to get into her Exchange account via web..she can configure it herself. On the phone, just setup an account for Exchange, plug in username, password, mail server, and domain. Very easy setup.
Mail Server and Domain comes right from her web access address like...
https://mail.company.com
mail.company.com = mail server
company.com = domain
The address to her web account is the only variable. If she has never used it...get her to ask IT guys what it is. She can say so she can check her mail from home. If they are already supporting iPhones...Androids will come in on ActiveSync the same way. IT guys will never know the difference...unless they are network nazis that toggle Active-Sync on/off per user.

I mean they can go in and disable the mobile services in the Exchange tab in AD but i doubt they would do that for every user. I did try her account on my evo once but i didn't get it to work. Maybe i fat fingered something, idk. I need to test it again and maybe try touchdown. $20 one time fee is better than $15 a month and a new blackberry that is already out of date.
Does anyone have a Droid X with a nazi type IT department that can share some info? You guys are on Froyo by now right?

Ya best thing to do is try again on your Evo and verify all her settings. Using Touchdown instead of the built-in app is not going to make any difference. Either they will have her Active-Sync locked down or not.
I don't limit access to our Exchange and have connected some Xs (2.1) and several Incredibles (2.1/2.2).
I am working hard break all our Crackberry addicts, and I'm slowly getting there. I would love nothing more than to shutdown our Blackberry server for good.
Good Luck!

I'm not an exchange admin, but I think its either lies or stupidity
Exchange for android has the same remote wiping capabilities as the iphone I believe. Some companies are concerned about this enterprise functionality in case the user loses their personal phone.
Anyways, an exchange admin has to permit you to use a cell phone, unless they have it wide open. If you can get them to enable it for "iphone" it should also work for android.
you can even log into owa and wipe the phone remotely yourself if you want.
it does identify the type of phone you have though, so they will be able to tell you are not using an iphone.
there might be some reasoning behind them blocking android I am curious

Exchange Is Doable Even On 2.1
I currently have a Droid X. I exchanged it from a Droid 2 because I wanted the bigger screen and more SD memory. In any case, my company uses a hosted Exchange provider. Since I'm the lead System Admin, they had to give me an account that allows for Exchange to work with my Droid. Hell, most of the Senior IT Managers are already using the Incredible.
The bottom line is that the Exchange administrator can allow for a phone to access, just the same way as OWA works for remote users. Since mine is hosted, it cost the company $5 to give me an account allotment. However, if her Exchange server is in-house, then they should be able to provide access for her without any cost. Droid works fine with Exchange. I heard rumours that one of the delays for giving us X users the 2.2 update had something to do with Exchange - maybe they're trying to include Active Sync. However, my phone syncs fine already without Active Sync. So any statement that Droids and Exchange don't get along is a blatant lie or a sorry excuse - and that's coming from a total Noob.

I'd guess that perhaps her company is using a self signed certificate. In earlier versions (dont remember exactly which) of Android there was no "accept all certificates" option and a self signed cert would "fail" auth and not work. In at least 2.1 forward there is now an option for that. I used to have to use touchdown for this exact reason.
/my experience = network/system/exchange administrator.
Unless they explicitly blocked Android with isa or similar then they simply don't know what they are talking about.
Edit: it wasnt until 2.0 that this feature was added to stock email app. I am willing to bet money this is/was the issue.

Deyez said:
https://mail.company.com
mail.company.com = mail server
company.com = domain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not necessarily true. Mail server, yes but domain no. I would ask them the domain too as they could have named it anything they want (of course other easyways to find it too, but by the sounds of it they aren't saying they wouldn't let her just that it "won't work" which isn't true, so just have her ask.)

It could be that it is because the phone is still on 2.1 which isn't fully supported by exchange.
I actually hate the name "droid" because some people use it for all android phones and others for the Motorola android phones. My mom calls them all Droids and maybe the IT department says that because to them the Droid wasn't supported which had 2.1 and they just don't know the difference or anything about android 2.2
If they can see what type of phone it is then telling them it is an iPhone and then activating a Droid would probably piss them off and she doesn't want to do that.

Android 2.01 and above supported exchange. I believe 2.01 had some issues with self-signed certificates (I had a Droid 1 and took it back largely because of this ... I have a self-signed Exchange server and I had issues with attachments - but mail & contacts came through fine).
2.1 Improved exchange support and 2.2 is supposed to be even better (I've Froyo'd my X and haven't noticed any difference in my exchange experience)

How did you froyo your x???!!! Its not out yet on verizon.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

avirnig said:
How did you froyo your x???!!! Its not out yet on verizon.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Leak has been out for a while. Heck, the second leak just popped up over the weekend.
See original thread here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=758907

I am trying to find her external email server address with no luck. The webmail address she has only works when she is connected to her VPN. When she is outside of the VPN that owa address doesn't work in any browser. So how can I find the external webserver address only knowing the email address?

Sounds to me like owa is turned on but not accessible outside of your companies firewall. If that's the case you are probably out of luck.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

The company had people with iPhones so it can't be entirely turned off. I think that they have an internal webmail address which would require the VPN and then an external webmail address which would work for phones.

Android pre 2.2 did not fully support all of the exchange security features so its not really a "lie" per say.
We use encryption and remote device wipe and all the security featuers to "lock down" our devices if they are lost / stolen because they could contain PHI.
If you have any phone with Android 2.2+ it should integrate seamlessly with exchange now so there is no reason to not allow the devices on the network unless they just made their own company policy saying so.

I'm not an iphone expert by any means, but I think iphones (pre-ios4.0) use some kind of enterprise sever like blackberry.
That server may be outside the firewall.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App