Verizon to charge for Exchange access on the DROID, probably on the honor system
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Nov 2nd 2009 6:18PM
posted Nov 2nd 2009 6:18PM
For a carrier that isn't used to selling a whole lot of smartphones that don't have "BlackBerry" somewhere in the name, it might come as a surprise that not all devices require a different kind of back-end server to hit an Exchange account -- you know, the kind that'd allow you to charge an extra $15 a month for access. As such, the official company line is apparently that the DROID will require a $45 data plan (as opposed to a $30 one) if you want to hook up to an Exchange ActiveSync account somewhere on the interwebs. Thing is, data is data, and since the DROID doesn't require anything approximating a BES setup behind the scenes, we have no idea how this could be enforceable unless Verizon intends to block ports -- and considering what a hot-button topic net neutrality is right now, we're pretty sure they're not going to do that. The takeaway? Pay the extra $15 if you're feeling generous (or you own Verizon stock), but otherwise, we're willing to bet Exchange will work just fine on your basic plan.
hmm, I wonder if they want to apply this to both the built-in exchange account and 3rd party apps like TouchDown? While I'd much prefer native, I already had Touchdown on the G1 - if Verizon wants me to pay another $15 for native Exchange (and somehow can enforce it), I'll just keep using Touchdown.
Verizon has always tried to pull this shit with smartphones. Using the $45 plan gives you access to their server. Not sure why you would need it.
They've been able to enforce it so far with WinMo phones. Why would Android be any different? It's probably just a question of what protocols/ports to block.
ummm, I can confirm that exchange works without the $45 plan. I've been doing it for over 5 years.
I managed cell phones at my work for a year and they never enforced anything. All of our PDA's synced to our Exchange server just fine. My Touch Pro syncs to it just fine now too on the $30/mo plan.
I have the $30/month data plan (before discounts) and Exchange synching and push e-mail both work on my Touch Pro2.
Exchange ActiveSync is HTTPS anyways. I'm guessing the extra $15 is if you have an Exchange account hosted by VZW. If you host your own Exchange server, probably okay with the $30 plan. We'll see.
This would be dumb for Google and Verizon. The knock on the Android system is how it works with corporate clients/servers...I would think it would be hard for a business decision maker to get in the door, and try Android, if there was more upfront costs associated with it (and it isn't proven for businesses). I know Blackberry is constantly lowering their CAL costs, and outsourcing the tech support...combine that with BB's reputation, and even though the Droid is cool, a business would have to go with BB's. But, what am I thinking...this is just an up sell for mobile pros who walk out of VZW with their Driods this Friday, only to come back on Monday saying that their corporate email doesn't work. After they are told they have to add the 15 dollars, they will complain, but give their money to the company that is the BEST at getting it.
I'm pretty sure this is not unique to Verizon. If I'm not mistaken, AT&T has the same policy for Exchange use, even on the iPhone. I have an iPhone with a standard $30 data plan, and Exchange works fine. I'd guess neither carrier intends to press this on individual users (unless you're dumb enough to bring it up to the agent), but it's there for large corporate customers whom they both know will have to be honest and pony up the extra cash from their deep pockets.
I believe you are right. My co-worker with an iphone was asked if he would be syncing with exchange when he signed up with his plan. It was going to cost him extra for this "feature".
Yep, if you want to use any exchange sever, there is a higher data plan, same for the Blackberry devices as well. I don't know about all carriers, but T-Mobile also does this. not going to impact my choice to get droid, as I already have to pay the higher one.
You just knew it was too good to be true. Verizon was going to find a way to botch this somehow and this is a good way of doing it.
Makes no sense - data is data and Email is Email. No additonal charge for Exchange Email support on a Sprint device.
BUT Sprint/Nextel charges more for BES. as you said, EMail is EMail, data is data, so WTF?
Verizon has the same policy with all other Smartphone platforms. The only one that can actually be enforced is Blackberry because of the BES/NOC environment.
Windows Exchange works just fine on $29.99 rate plan (and I assume Android will be exactly the same).
oh and PS, I am almost positive at&t has the exact same policy.
I have never paid extra to get my exchange email.why would I. I dont own a bb for this very reason. What a ripoff. I never paid for it with my moto q on verizon. I never paid extra foir it with and wm, nokia or my iphone on att. Verizon better learn how to deal with smartphones very quickly or their new push into the smartphone market will die quickly. what is the diffwrence between gmail push, aim push or exchange push, friggin idiots.
Have your employer pay that extra $15 if you can justify it.
Do you somehow get better "push" email with the official Verizon version of Exchange integration or something? BTW, note that if you get the data-only plan, it includes the Exchange bit.
Infoworld is completely retarded for reporting it the way they did. Thank you for speaking non-BS truthiness to us, Engadget. If Verizon tries to charge ANY more than they already are for the "unlimited" data plan they're going to lose a lot of potential customers.
I knew Verizon was going to fail soon enough. These clowns were really impressing me until this.
Dear Verizon,
You just partnered with the most open company on earth... I realize it's going to take a little while to get accustom with the idea that you dont need to rape my wallet every month, but android is a wide open platform and I promise you that any type of limiting you do on that platform will be easily bypassed.... so save your duckets for more important things like keeping me connected like you've done for so many years.
In a word... Android on VZW = give me an IP and shut the F up. Data is data... you will soon come to terms with that.
AT&T is already pulling the exact same stunt.
I was just on the phone with them a couple of weeks ago and the guy on the phone was trying to tell me that I would have to get a corporate (or enterprise I forget which it was called exactly) if I want to be able to receive work email. I know many many MANY people that use iPhone with a personal data plan and can sych with their work server.
In the end I decided that the Enterprise dat paln was something you had to get if you had a business phone plan. The logic here would be that since you are a corporate account chances are you will be more demanding on the email bandwidth.
The truth however is that I have two people using their personal data plan (something the AT&T guy told me would not work) to sych with my exchange server.
My guess? It's the same story with Verizon.
Verizon and AT&T have nothing to do with Exchange access. Thank you Microsoft for having EAS work over standard HTTP (unsecure) and HTTPS (secure) ports!
I use exchange on my 10 dollar family data plan on AT&T with my TILT, E71, N79, 8525, and Q9H. :) EAT THAT BLACKBERRY BES!!!!!
Guys, this is nothing new at all. Why is everyone acting like this is some huge deal? It has nothing to do with the Droid. It's the way VZW's been doing things for years.
Everyone is making a big deal out of this because as of right now they have nothing else to whine and complain about. So far the Droid has everything people have been asking for and 1 minut detail is going to cause people to make a mountain out of a mole hill. They just need to find something to bitch about because they don't like Verizon or have a problem with companies making money.
I have been using T-Mobile minus any extra cost for Exchange with our server for months, no issue. I am also 100% sure that I can get VZW to work without paying $15 too. Screw that. I am right on the edge of leaving T-Mobile because of this phone (I hate my Windows Mobile device) and I am only just holding on because they really have been good to me over the last 4 years.
$15/month for Exchange access when the phone doesn't even support the hardware encryption policy?
No thanks.
Figures Chris Ziegler, in-house anti-VZW boy would post this "story." Actually you're wrong. The $45 plan is to access VZW's WirelessSync service, not Microsoft Exchange. The $30/mo. Email & Web Plan is for whatever you want. Jesus, some of you will buy into any nonsense Apple/AT&T fanboy nonsense. Verizon hasn't been "pulling" this for years. They started out with a $45/mo. plan and then introduced a $30/mo. plan a few years ago that didn't include WirelessSync. Don't come to Engadget for unbiased info, please. At least go to HoFo to verify before taking what is posted here to heart.
@ baaadandy769....
Really? I pay $30/month unlimited data for my xv6800 with Wireless Sync enabled. I only use it to sync my gmail account, however. I've never heard of this Exchange limitation with VZW until now.
She's full of $hit and so is this third-rate inforworld site. I've had my iPhone syncing work calendar, contacts and email on a regular plan and VZW should be no different. Like with every over-hyped gadget launch people are in info-overload and such miscommunications and rumors are blown out of proportion. Here's the "relevant" description of the basic unlimited plan from VZW's site, it doesn't even mention Exchange. I'm sure someone with a winmo phone sucking up all the bandwandith thru exchange can confirm that the basic unlimited is enough.
29.99
The Email and Web for BlackBerry and Email and Web for Smartphone Features are designed for personal, consumer use and are not compatible with some Internet email service offerings or with email applications utilizing BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BlackBerry Desktop Software, Wireless Sync or Wireless Sync Enterprise Server or Good™ Mobile Messaging. These features cannot be used to tether your device to laptops, personal computers or other devices for any purpose other than syncing of data; any other use is not permitted using these features. Service is only available in the National Enhanced Services and Extended National Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Areas.
Hey genius, we're talking about the Droid, not an iPhone. If I could insert a Harpo Marx smiley here, I would.
@danny,
That's nice to say and all but they have only been offering the $30 PDA since April 2008 although it's on the honor system since I have all our company lines on the $30 plan accessing an exchange account.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/14/verizon-wireless-announces-30-unlimited-browsing-plan-for-smart/
It Dosen't work, I promise, pay the 15
Is that with using VZW's WirelessSync or not? If the phone has native Exchange ActiveSync support, this would be all Windows Mobile 2002 to present version and some other non-WM devices, it doesn't need VZW's WirelessSync service and will work just fine on the $30/month plan. Many other people here and on other forums have stated they're running Exchange ActiveSync on their phone with the $30/month data plan just fine.
So Gmail and Exchange both use ActiveSync. This means the same ports and protocols for both GMail and Exchange. I highly doubt they are blocking traffic to your Exchange servers while allowing the same traffic to a GMail server. It would bet it will go through.
Had a customer test the store demo to make sure corprate email would work before buying, phone wasn't provisioned for corprate, he tried every variation of his email and work servers, wouldn't go.........
Assuming that the phone's provisioning was allowed the device to access the internet, it should work as long as he had the correct settings. In the past at my company, we've had end users having issues setting up Exchange ActiveSync because they didn't put in the correct server address, select SSL (a requirement for our specific environment), username, and/or password. Most of the time when we're configuring everything but their password and it doesn't connect, it's because they just didn't type in their password correctly and ended up using the softkeyboard just so they can get it right.
Our mail server doesn't have an address one would expect like mail.example.com. Also, the username requires the fully qualified AD domain: company.corp\fuzzball
Just because Punkin couldn't set it up, doesn't mean it won't work. Based off of your description, it doesn't sound like he knew what the settings should have been; he was just guessing. I may make the server address for ActiveSync corpmail.example.com, but it will be extra effort for me to also accept mail.example.com.
Exchange ActiveSync DOES work on the $30/month data plan. Whether that is within TOS or not is a completely different story. Not to mention, the difference between the $30 and $45 plans isn't documented well at all and leads to a lot of confusion. Exchange ActiveSync traffic is HTTP or HTTPS traffic and doesn't look any different that standard web traffic at first glance. If VZW is doing deep packet inspection on HTTP traffic, it might be possible to tell; HTTPS I doubt it. In either case, this would take a lot more effort and resources that it's worth just to make sure every data plan subscriber is within TOS.
So many ignorant people, obviously new to smartphones and their plans.
ATT has the same extra charge. Yet no consumer pays it on either carrier.
Exchange works fine on the $30 plan.
One good thing that might come out of this idiotic trumped up "news", is that perhaps the carriers will clarify what the plan is really for, if anything, these days.
They (VZW) figure that if you need Exchange functionality, then you have a 'business' case for requiring it. Businesses generally have more money than individuals, therefore gouge the business. Just set up a gmail account to sync with your exchange account and keep a separate gmail (or whatever) account for personal emails. As this phone supports multiple email accounts, I'd then use wireless sync for the 2 gmail accounts... no exchange fee necessary.
I knew verizon had something up their sleves to keep the android from being completely open. They love to keep their phones on a leash.
No multi-touch in the US either. Sucks being a third world nation, doesn't it?
Even if this WERE true, what does this possibly have to do with not being "open"? Nothing. Nothing at all. It's a data policy ferchrisake. How would it be "open" to charge you $30 but not $45? Shouldn't VZW just let you do whatever you want for free? That's what will make you happy, won't it? Don't use VZW if it upsets you so much. This has been their (murky) policy since they first introduced the $30 policy last year. They're not doing anything different to keep poor hippy Android users on a "leash".
Damn.. I was all ready to ditch my iphone Friday for this until now... I guess I'll have to wait to see if they do block it for the 30 dollar plan...
They don't block it for the $30 plan. It works just fine. The data plans will be the same for the DROID as it's for all their other smartphones.
The whole thing makes no sense, simply because it's not enforcable. Someone needs to verify this story.
Exchange Access (ActiveSync) is plain old SSL traffic (https). This also means (unless the conspiracy theories about back doors in existing encryption algorithms are true) that the carriers don't even know what kind of information is going back and forth - it's encrypted, they can't read it and they can't distinguish it from other SSL traffic.
I for one was not asked what I was going to do with my flat rate data plan (T-Mob) and a ton of people I know are also happily synching away with their iPhones and no additional charges.
In my opinion anyone who is trying to charge extra for Exchange **Access** either doesn't know what he/she's talking about or is trying to scam you.
Exchange activesync is just RPC protocol tunneled inside of HTTPS.
Unless they plan on blocking HTTPS (yeah right) they can't stop it.
I'm 99.9% sure Exchange can be used under the $30 data plan as I do this with my iPhone on ATT. IF YOU WANT to use the VZ servers then $45 is necessary....No biggie; I still plan on making the jump to VZ.
Verizon can tell where things are being routed, so they would be able to tell when email is being routed to an Exchange server.
Except an Exchange ActiveSync server is just another secure web server as far as the internet goes. Same port 443 traffic as your Amazon logon. GMail uses ActiveSync for it's push email as well, which is supported on the consumer plan so they clearly won't be blocking based on protocol.
Yes they could log where all the packets are routed, but do you seriously think that they're going to maintain a blacklist of ALL the Exchange servers out there just to block subscribers with the $30 plan? Really? Do you actually believe they're going to go through that much effort? How are they going to decipher ActiveSync traffic from OWA via a web browser traffic?
In most environments (all of them in my career), the web facing Exchange Client Access Server(s) handle both ActiveSync and OWA.