There has been a lot of speculation about the iPhone and its abilities to connect to Microsoft Exchange Server. For instance, Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg mentions in his June 26 All...
Updated Jul 01, 2019
Version 2.0
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"Direct Push, which provides an up-to-date messaging experience designed for mobile networks"
Of course, the Push-IMAP standard adds push support to IMAP, but Microsoft doesn't support it. (As far as I know, the iPhone does. Can't you get Push-IMAP from Yahoo?)
"Server-side logic to preserve the formatting of rich email on reply/forward if the mobile client doesn't support rich html editing (most don't)"
But the iPhone does, so this is a moot point.
"Numerous bandwidth optimizations to reduce data charges and improve battery life"
iPhones always have unlimited data accounts and one of the longest battery lives available in a smart phone. Apparently Apple doesn't need the help.
"Contact synchronization, Calendar synchronization, Tasks synchronization"
From what I've heard, this is very buggy; in the real world, users typically have to wipe all the information on their phone about once a month and reload it because of sync problems. Instead, Apple decided to only synchronize calendar data while physically plugged into a PC that can make intelligent decisions about what to put where. Looks worse on paper, but better user experience.
"Access to documents stored in Sharepoint document libraries and UNC shares"
I don't know much about SharePoint, but it looks like it has a web interface. Mobile Safari ought to be able to use that over a VPN. (And if not, whose fault is it that it doesn't?)
"Many IT departments require support for additional security measures to protect data on the device as well (not just over the network) to guard against loss or theft before they are willing to let users connect to Exchange from the Internet using a given protocol. Only EAS addresses this requirement by enabling IT to implement and enforce security policies that protect the data once it's on the device."
There's no reason a phone such the iPhone couldn't be designed to allow remote wiping by contacting the carrier, or that IT can't set up a PIN before issuing the device. They just can't be quite as paranoid about it.
Frankly, this post looks an awful lot like FUD when so much of it is misleading or just false. Try competing against the actual iPhone, not a fantasyland crippled one.
Of course, the Push-IMAP standard adds push support to IMAP, but Microsoft doesn't support it. (As far as I know, the iPhone does. Can't you get Push-IMAP from Yahoo?)
"Server-side logic to preserve the formatting of rich email on reply/forward if the mobile client doesn't support rich html editing (most don't)"
But the iPhone does, so this is a moot point.
"Numerous bandwidth optimizations to reduce data charges and improve battery life"
iPhones always have unlimited data accounts and one of the longest battery lives available in a smart phone. Apparently Apple doesn't need the help.
"Contact synchronization, Calendar synchronization, Tasks synchronization"
From what I've heard, this is very buggy; in the real world, users typically have to wipe all the information on their phone about once a month and reload it because of sync problems. Instead, Apple decided to only synchronize calendar data while physically plugged into a PC that can make intelligent decisions about what to put where. Looks worse on paper, but better user experience.
"Access to documents stored in Sharepoint document libraries and UNC shares"
I don't know much about SharePoint, but it looks like it has a web interface. Mobile Safari ought to be able to use that over a VPN. (And if not, whose fault is it that it doesn't?)
"Many IT departments require support for additional security measures to protect data on the device as well (not just over the network) to guard against loss or theft before they are willing to let users connect to Exchange from the Internet using a given protocol. Only EAS addresses this requirement by enabling IT to implement and enforce security policies that protect the data once it's on the device."
There's no reason a phone such the iPhone couldn't be designed to allow remote wiping by contacting the carrier, or that IT can't set up a PIN before issuing the device. They just can't be quite as paranoid about it.
Frankly, this post looks an awful lot like FUD when so much of it is misleading or just false. Try competing against the actual iPhone, not a fantasyland crippled one.