14 DAY TRIAL // For many people in a corporate environment, the iPhone's compatibility with Microsoft's Exchange is an important issue. While the iPhone uses open standards that are compatible with Exchange, the setup of most IT departments will not allow this. Much as with the Blackbery a few years ago, the device is currently seen as a newcomer and outsider who needs to gain enough traction before being accepted and supported.
To help move things along, Synchronica has announced that their Mobile Gateway 3.0 software supports over-the-air synchronization between Microsoft Exchange and the newly launched Apple iPhone. It will seamlessly integrate with the corporate IT infrastructure and does not require the enterprise to expose IMAP and SMTP in their Exchange servers or install additional connectors.
The software uses Microsoft's secure Outlook Web Access (OWA) to retrieve email from the corporate Exchange server, a service enabled by many enterprises to provide users with access to corporate email from home or while traveling. Mobile Gateway 3.0 delivers emails directly to the built-in email client of the Apple iPhone. Users will be able to benefit from the outstanding user experience of the built-in email client of the iPhone and its tight integration with the phone's address book.
Commenting on the decision to support Microsoft Exchange synchronization with the Apple iPhone, Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica said in the press release, "The iPhone is a very attractive smartphone, appealing to both the consumer and prosumer market. However, IT Managers are not going to permit their executives to synchronize a device that requires them to punch holes in the corporate firewall. Mobile Gateway already supports synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, but does not require firewall modification or any software to be installed in the corporate network, so this won't be an issue. From a carrier's perspective, we are significantly expanding the reach of the iPhone into the business user and prosumer segments."