Will the iPhone support Exchange Direct Push?
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Jan 14th 2007 10:18PM
posted Jan 14th 2007 10:18PM
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 leaves 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.
Interesting discussion. However; Exchange Activesync uses HTTPS thus port 443. This also means the client would use the Activesync software and needs to support SSL for encryption and authentication. So you're saying Apple would get a licensing agreement with Microsoft for this?
To implement on the device and be legal they would have to acquire a license from Microsoft to do it. Palm did so with on the Treo 650 for the prior version of Server Activesync, so it it feasible to think a vendor might do that again for DirectPush. Unfortunately I haven't seen anyone else do it yet, so we have no point of reference for comparison.
As for the first responder here, it uses 80 *or* 443 depending on wether or not you are using SSL. You also seem to be implying that they would need a license to authenticate with the Exchange server using SSL which just doesn't make any sense.
DataViz offers software for devices to support ActiveSync (AirSync), direct push, etc. I could see them offering a port for the iPhone.
iPhone is available with Cingular ONLY!? And what if I am stuck under contract with a carrier OTHER than Cingular but still want a iPhone?
"so it it feasible to think a vendor might do that again for DirectPush. Unfortunately I haven't seen anyone else do it yet, so we have no point of reference for comparison."
Nokia have
"mail for exchange" which is a symbian app for the e series of phones for direct push.
Roger Smith:
Haha, Well that's just too bad for you! But I don't anyone is going to cry for you, so do it yourself somewhere else.
If the iPhone is available for sale at the Apple Store as an "unlocked" phone that you just add you GSM sim card to, then any GSM service will work. I knwo Verizon doesn't used sim cards so even if this is the case, you'd be SOL on some of the carriers.
It really depends what Apple is getting at with the whole "exclusive carrier" thing. Personally although i'm a cingular customer i really begrudge buying a product from them, i'd much prefer to buy elsewhere then just put my sim card into the device.
Steve Jobs already stated that the iPhone would only be available wiht a 2-year Cingular contract. It will not be sold unlocked at Apple Stores, at least not during Cingular's exclusive rights period, estimates of which range from 6 months to 5 years (probably more like 2 years).