Help Exchange ActiveSync

[anleva]

I bought the Evo for my personal use. However, I was looking at an FAQ this morning on my company's IT site on supporting Android devices thinking it might be a possibility. Currently personally funded Blackberry, iPhone and Windows mobile devices are supported for connection to our Microsoft Exchange email services.

I noticed the following in an FAQ in regards to Android support, is this true? I thought the Evo supports ActiveSync?

Question:
How can I access my corporate email on my Android device?

Answer:
At the moment, XYZ does not support Android due to its lack of ActiveSync support (access to Microsoft Exchange email). When/If this option becomes available, updates will be posted through the Mobile Device website.

Question:
When will Android be an option for users?

Answer:
XYZ has decided that we will not support the Android for corporate email at this time. If/When Android supports ActiveSync we will re-evaluate.

Question:
How about if I have a personally funded Android phone?

Answer:
Presently, corporate email access is not available for any Android devices due to its lack of ActiveSync support (access to Microsoft Exchange email).

 

[Cobravision]

I use my Evo, which has ActiveSync built right in. Not sure which version of Android is the first one with activesync, but 2.1 definitely does have it, and the company policy seems to be based on outdated information. I have also set up activesync on Droids and Moments, so it works as far back as 2.0. This is email, contacts, and calendar sync.

 

[anleva]

I use my Evo, which has ActiveSync built right in. Not sure which version of Android is the first one with activesync, but 2.1 definitely does have it, and the company policy seems to be based on outdated information. I have also set up activesync on Droids and Moments, so it works as far back as 2.0. This is email, contacts, and calendar sync.

Thanks. I thought it might be outdated.

If anyone can help me draft a reply to my IT departmental in terms of Android's support of Exchange and ActiveSync (when it started supporting it and it's level of support) I'd appreciate it. Not sure if there are other technical details I need to include or not.

 

[ArtGuy]

We are on Exchange Server 2003 and it works great with my EVO - and the EVO was way easier to setup than my old iPhone. I use calendar, mail, contacts, etc with absolutely no problems.

 

[Cobravision]

Actually, we are in the process of replacing some users BB's with Android phones so we don't have to pay the additional $20 BES fee. We would never think about this is if weren't for ActiveSync.

 

[Neitherfanboy]

Well, yes, Activesync works on Android .. have it going on my EVO also. But its not a very good Activesync client. On my iPhone, if I deleted an email from the phone, it was deleted from Exchange/Outlook, and vice-versa. Reading one on my EVO marked it read in Exchange/Outlook. That does not happen with the default Activesync client on my EVO. And I tried another email client with better Exchange Activesync support, but then it only did one email account, Exchange, not yahoo or gmail or hotmail, etc.

 

[Cobravision]

Deleting works perfectly fine on my Evo. I just tested it. As soon as I deleted them message, it synced it to my desktop. The read notices have worked since it was set up.

I can also accept calendar invites, something someone said didn't work with ActiveSync in some other thread.

 

[overclock]

I can delete too! I don't know how this stuff is setup but I can access my MS Exchange account on my Evo with no problem. I think it is the same settings are the eyePhone. I would try those and see if it works.

 

[wodin]

I have a commercial Exchange 2007 account with IT Solutions Now and I'm currently using Touchdown on my EVO as it supports more features than the native ActiveSync enabled email app. When I had my Samsung Moment, it came preloaded with Moxier Mail ActiveSync client.

I find that they are about equal, but Touchdown is slightly less expensive ($20 as opposed to $25). The only issue I have with either client is that they are not as tightly integrated with the Android address book as the Native app is.

 

[marctronixx]

just have them re-evaluate the android OS. should not be a need to draft anything. and have you just entered your credentials (along with server and domain info) in the android handset to test?

Thanks. I thought it might be outdated.

If anyone can help me draft a reply to my IT departmental in terms of Android's support of Exchange and ActiveSync (when it started supporting it and it's level of support) I'd appreciate it. Not sure if there are other technical details I need to include or not.

 

[asaberan]

Well, yes, Activesync works on Android .. have it going on my EVO also. But its not a very good Activesync client. On my iPhone, if I deleted an email from the phone, it was deleted from Exchange/Outlook, and vice-versa. Reading one on my EVO marked it read in Exchange/Outlook. That does not happen with the default Activesync client on my EVO. And I tried another email client with better Exchange Activesync support, but then it only did one email account, Exchange, not yahoo or gmail or hotmail, etc.

Just about all of this is incorrect. The Evo supports all of these functions out of the box and in fact, every Android device does that I've come into contact with (Moto Droid, Droid X, Samsung Moment, Evo, etc.). I am the IT Manager for my office and my emails do reconcile (to borrow the term from BlackBerry) and also updates read items. It even shows up in Outlook that you "replied to an email" if you did so on your Evo.

Now there is a valid reason why many IT departments do not allow Android devices and that is due to lack of security features, such as Remote Wipe and Security Policies. There are a few applications that do support these features, however (namely, Touchdown) and apparently FroYo will support these features natively.

I do not enforce security policies on devices that connect to my Exchange server, but that is because they are user-owned and not provided by the firm.

 

[Neitherfanboy]

Really? Would love to know how that works. Been using the default email client with Activesync for 3 or 4 weeks now. Message do NOT get marked as read in Exchange when read on the EVO, nor deleted. I see no settings for that in the default email client, and the IT department has not made any changes to the Exchange server because I AM the IT department for my firm -- and this currently works for the 23 iphones connecting to our Exchange server.

If you have a secret, please let me know.

 

[coopdro]

I am in the IT department for my company. We are running Exchange 2007 SP1 and activesync (although not company endorsed) works fine on my EVO. Worked fine on my Eris I had temporarily as well. All reconciliations work, although may be delayed (5-10 minutes) but that could also because we use cached mode for Outlook.

 

[Neitherfanboy]

Exchange 2003 here, rather than 2007. Would love it if this worked better. If someone has the solution, please let me know. Also, the Activesync client does not give me access to all the names in Exchange's global address list, only those contacts which are in contacts. A real drag when I want to send an email to one of the distribution lists in the global address list (and yes, the iPhone activesync client can see the global address list).

 

[Wadester]

I'm using a Small Business Server 2008 w/Exchange 2007 built-in at home and I have no problem syncing, marking messages as read or deleting using the default client on my EVO and no changes to Exchange. And most of the time, I get messages on my EVO before Outlook 2010 (Cached Mode).

 

[Neitherfanboy]

Okay, anybody got an Exchange 2003 server, SP 2, and have this working? If so, would love to know the secret.

 

[asaberan]

Exchange 2003 here, rather than 2007. Would love it if this worked better. If someone has the solution, please let me know. Also, the Activesync client does not give me access to all the names in Exchange's global address list, only those contacts which are in contacts. A real drag when I want to send an email to one of the distribution lists in the global address list (and yes, the iPhone activesync client can see the global address list).

I wish I could answer your questions. I have Exchange 2007, SP2 and when I had Exchange 2003, I didn't have any Android devices connected to it.

In addition, are you sure that the iPhone can access your GAL? Because I'm pretty sure the ones I my network cannot. On my Windows Mobile phones you have to physically search for their names and you cannot do it on any of the BlackBerry's--and I even have a BlackBerry Server. I don't think it works on any of the iPhones connected to my server either, but I'll double check next time I get one in my hands.

One thing I do know is that when the iPhone first started supporting ActiveSync, it was not able to report the "you replied to this message on xxx" back to your Exchange mailbox, I can't say for sure if that is still the case or not.

 

[spyder40]

We're using Exchange 2003 SP2 and everything works fine. There was some issues with 2.0 but 2.1 is fine. Deletes in either direction works, read/reply show up, blah. We didn't do anything special just standard setup.

 

[anleva]

just have them re-evaluate the android OS. should not be a need to draft anything. and have you just entered your credentials (along with server and domain info) in the android handset to test?

I'll ask them to re-evaluate Android.

I have not entered my credentials, figured it would not work as Android is not supported by my IT department. However maybe I could test it. Can you point me to where in Outlook running on my PC I could find the credentials, server, domain info and I could test to see if it works? Sorry, not sure what information I need from Outlook and where to find it.

 

[marctronixx]

using Exchange 2003 SP2 on the hero and now on the evo.

exchange works BEAUTIFULLY as it did/does on my touch pro2. messages reconcile, calendar, global company address book works.. everything works just like the desktop. in fact the evo picks up the email a few seconds before the computer acknowledges.

im at a crackberry heavy company with win mo second and android OS in the rear and all is working just peachy.

it sounds like your IT department does not have your account setup for complete access to their EAS... which is a issue with YOUR IT company and not the Android OS in general...

Exchange 2003 here, rather than 2007. Would love it if this worked better. If someone has the solution, please let me know. Also, the Activesync client does not give me access to all the names in Exchange's global address list, only those contacts which are in contacts. A real drag when I want to send an email to one of the distribution lists in the global address list (and yes, the iPhone activesync client can see the global address list).

 

[marctronixx]

do you have an website address to see/read your company mail? if so that website address is probably your server address. the domain could be anything.

just ask someone who has a windows mobile device what the server and domain entries are.. then just add your username and password to the mix and select SSL security. you also may need a certificate pushed to your device to comply with your company's policies....

I'll ask them to re-evaluate Android.

I have not entered my credentials, figured it would not work as Android is not supported by my IT department. However maybe I could test it. Can you point me to where in Outlook running on my PC I could find the credentials, server, domain info and I could test to see if it works? Sorry, not sure what information I need from Outlook and where to find it.

 

[novox77]

To the OP:

Don't bother asking them to re-evaluate android. Just create a list of info your Evo is requiring to set up an exchange activesync and ask your IT dept to provide it. Then just enter it into your phone and you will be all set:

Email address: this should be your work email address
Server address: something like mail.yourcompany.com but not always
Domain: find out from IT
username/password: typically your domain login credentials, or whatever you use to check your mail.
SSL required? yes or no. try both.

If you're resourceful, you might be able to guess the correct values.

 

[Neitherfanboy]

using Exchange 2003 SP2 on the hero and now on the evo.

exchange works BEAUTIFULLY as it did/does on my touch pro2. messages reconcile, calendar, global company address book works.. everything works just like the desktop. in fact the evo picks up the email a few seconds before the computer acknowledges.

im at a crackberry heavy company with win mo second and android OS in the rear and all is working just peachy.

it sounds like your IT department does not have your account setup for complete access to their EAS... which is a issue with YOUR IT company and not the Android OS in general...

NOT helpful. Does not explain why there is full integration to the dreaded iphones but with absolutely no changes made to the Exchange environment, not full integration to Android. If Android Exchange Activesync requires something other than what the iPhone requires at the Exchange end, I'd like to know it. Anyone? Bueller, Bueller?

 

[ca92807]

Now there is a valid reason why many IT departments do not allow Android devices and that is due to lack of security features, such as Remote Wipe and Security Policies.

Exchange 2007 will do a remote wipe to an EVO with an enforced security policy (I tested that) but doesn't support recovery password for it.

The native Exchange ActiveSync on the EVO is not nearly as complete as my Windows Mobile 6 phone was, but it's adequate for me.

 

[Neitherfanboy]

The native Exchange ActiveSync on the EVO is not nearly as complete as my Windows Mobile 6 phone was, but it's adequate for me.

Thank goodness someone else finds it "not nearly as complete."