Aug 01 2017 02:27 PM
Any word on when Government tenants will be able to use the Outlook for iOS/Android mobile apps?
I have users that are disappointed with having to continue to use the poor OWA apps and want to go to the better app.
Aug 01 2017 02:33 PM
I didn't realize that was a thing, why can't Government customers use the Outlook for iOS and Android app out of interest? The OWA app is practically abandonware, it must be a drag to still to have to use that!
Aug 01 2017 02:35 PM
I don't know the why's, but we can't authenticate and the last time I asked (couple months ago) I was told it was because we are a Government tenant.
Aug 01 2017 02:50 PM
The U.S, government (and associated bodies) use what Microsoft call a "soverign cloud" (the datacenter regions in Germany and China are similar). In these environments, software must meet specific security and other requirements before it is available for general use. Obviously, there is still some work to be done to make sure that the infrastructure used by the Outlook apps complies with those requirements.
Aug 01 2017 02:54 PM
I've told my users that, but they are not at all sympathetic and are pratically ready to mutiny if they have to continue to use the OWA app much longer.
Aug 01 2017 02:58 PM - edited Aug 01 2017 02:59 PM
Thanks for the explanation, that's taking a long time (since moving the infrastructure to the Microsoft Cloud in Sep 2016), but as has been explained it will take as long as it takes. In fairness, in the service description it says for Outlook for iOS and Android "Not yet available for Office 365 US Government Community or Office 365 US Government Defense but coming soon". Hopefully, by Ignite this will be announced.
Aug 01 2017 04:43 PM
@Cian Allner wrote:In fairness, in the service description it says for Outlook for iOS and Android "Not yet available for Office 365 US Government Community or Office 365 US Government Defense but coming soon".
Don't be suprised if I don't see much "fairness."
That's the only place I've ever seen it spelled out. Even the Tech Support people didn't know that Government tenants aren't supported by the apps. I wasted over a week on that very question back in June.
Now my users are asking why are we still using an app that hasn't been updated in almost 2 years. I just have to tell them "it's Microsoft" . . . they aren't very satisfied with that answer.
Aug 02 2017 12:52 AM
I do understand, I wouldn't be terribly impressed in those circumstances either.
I do think this is an example of where Office 365 change management falls down. As customers, we should be better informed, especially about something like this that takes so long to deliver. We need to be able to go back to our user base and have a timeframe at least, rather being completely open ended.
This is on the roadmap of sorts, I think, under the Outlook for iOS and Android backend update item that is still classified as rolling out.
Aug 02 2017 01:33 AM
Oct 27 2017 08:24 AM
There is a reason for the confusion around this. Some already touched on in this thread. MS does not have consistent messaging nor consistent behavior.
The service description states the app is not supported. It does not say it can't work, just not supported. That also means of course it has not been certified to meet the various compliance requirements of the services and applications running from the GCC. My assumption here is that is because of the Azure piece, that most likely only runs from the commercial Azure datacenters.
The FAQ for Outlook app ( https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt465746(v=exchg.150).aspx ) - there is an entry on using with Government Subscriptions, near the top of the list in fact. The only limitation states that accounts you add to it must be in the same region. Which is odd - since GCC datacenters are only in the US (as far as I'm aware).
Behavior seems to be inconsistent. I can confirm that in some cases Government Subscription users can use the Outlook app with no issues. I know of multiple instances where it's used with no problems. But I've seen various reports like this thread where some users can't use it at all. Where it does work, you have to keep in mind the official position as stated in the service description.
Oct 30 2017 06:54 AM
I can setup an Office 365 Government Exchange account with no issue in many of the email apps on either iOS or Android. What makes Outlook for iOS/Android so special that as a government tenant it refuses?
The other apps authenticate to the same servers that Outlook for iOS/Android do. The other apps access the same calendar, mailbox, contacts, etc. that Outlook for iOS/Android do.
Sorry, but I find all the endlessly regurgitated excuses ridiculous. Even my users are seeing through the smoke screens put out by Microsoft and agree that is a ridiculous situation where we can't use any Microsoft authored mail apps on our mobile devices to attach to our government tenants.
Oct 30 2017 07:18 AM
It's the same reason why Teams is not available for the U.S. Government sovereign cloud: not all of the necessary components (in this case, some Azure components) are available in that cloud, so any application that depends on those components is unavailable.
Dec 20 2017 11:14 AM
Dec 20 2017 02:36 PM
I'm sorry that I didn't see this thread sooner and can share some insight. I think a few folks have hit the most important topics already.
So this explains why Outlook Mobile does not connect to GCC tenants. There is good feedback in this thread that the US Gov documentation may reflect this, but support teams and Outlook general documentation may need to be clarified.
Within the next few months, Outlook Mobile will become compliant with our GCC commitments (this should be on roadmap.office.com), and we will remove the block. In the meantime, if you have a Microsoft account team, reach out and let them know you're interested.
Feb 02 2018 03:11 PM
Feb 02 2018 03:13 PM
Feb 02 2018 05:05 PM
Feb 02 2018 05:07 PM
Mar 30 2018 04:45 PM - edited Mar 30 2018 04:46 PM
It looks like this is going to slip past March. Any insight on when Outlook for iOS and Android will be available?
Apr 03 2018 06:25 AM
Game on!
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt846641(v=exchg.150).aspx
Outlook for iOS and Android is fully architected in the Microsoft Cloud and now includes a solution that routes data through Azure Government Community data centers (the Azure Government Community Cloud). This solution is FedRAMP-compliant and approved, which means the Outlook for iOS and Android architecture and underlying translation protocol service now meet the data-handling requirements for GCC tenants