Exchange

Business
September 16, 2011
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Despite owning just 1% of enterprise market, Gmail deemed ready to take on Microsoft

By on September 16, 2011 at 8:15 PM.

Despite owning just 1% of enterprise market, Gmail deemed ready to take on Microsoft

Gartner released a report on Friday that suggested Google’s Gmail solution is ready to take on Microsoft in the enterprise email arena despite having just a tiny fraction of the market. “While Gmail’s enterprise email market share currently hovers around 1 percent, it has close to half of the market for enterprise cloud email,” Gartner research vice president Matthew Cain said. “While cloud email is still in its infancy, at 3 percent to 4 percent of the overall enterprise email market, we expect it to be a growth industry, reaching 20 percent of the market by year-end 2016, and 55 percent by year-end 2020,” Cain added, noting that Gmail should “now be considered a mainstream cloud email supplier.” Microsoft Exchange and Gmail are the only two services that have gained momentum during the past few years while other solutions, such as Novell GroupWise and IBM Lotus Notes/Domino have started to fade out. Cain said that companies should consider splitting their email services between the cloud and on-premises servers which, for now, “plays to Microsoft’s strengths.” Gartner also suggested the Google/Microsoft rivalry will make it tougher for other competitors to enter the industry. Gartner’s full press release follows after the break. More →

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Software
June 28, 2011
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Microsoft launches cloud-based Office 365

By on June 28, 2011 at 11:00 AM.

Microsoft launches cloud-based Office 365

Moments ago, Microsoft officially released its new cloud-based Office product, Office 365, which will compete directly with Google Docs. The Office 365 suite, which has been in public beta for awhile now, is being targeted at the enterprise market and plans for the entire suite cost between $10 and $27 each month depending on the feature set chosen. Small and medium-sized businesses can also choose a more cost effective $6 option that only includes Office Web Apps and Microsoft Exchange. Those options, however, are all more expensive than the $50 annual fee that Google charges corporate users for access to its Google Docs suite. Microsoft’s full press release follows below. More →

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mobile
May 16, 2011
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Apple’s next iPhone will not have NFC, analyst claims

By on May 16, 2011 at 12:33 PM.

Apple’s next iPhone will not have NFC, analyst claims

According to a Bernstein note issued on Monday morning, Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone will not include Near field communication (NFC) capabilities as had been previously rumored on several occasions. NFC, which will be featured in RIM’s 2011 BlackBerry smartphone lineup, allows cell phones and other devices to transmit data wirelessly over short distances. Unlike Bluetooth, NFC connections do not require a pairing process, so NFC is well suited for applications such as mobile payments, as it is currently being used in several markets around the world. In the U.S. at the moment, carriers, manufacturers, banks and other companies are all independently working on various solutions. Without better standards, it will be difficult for the technology to take off in the mass market. More →

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mobile
April 26, 2011
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Motorola DROID Pro software update now available

By on April 26, 2011 at 12:39 AM.

Motorola DROID Pro software update now available

Motorola has announced that there is a new software update available for the Verizon Wireless DROID Pro. Unfortunately the patch will not update your DROID Pro to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but it should reduce the frequency of UI lockups, offer improved audio during calls, and the following fixes:

  • Improved audio on voice calls.
  • Improved stability and performance.
  • User interface display now refreshes when user switches from GSM/UMTS communication to Global Mode.
  • Device now prepends 011 to Country Code to send SMS messages.
  • Global Mode no longer resets when connecting to a USB charger.
  • Visual Voice Mail now detects airplane mode while Wi-Fi is active.
  • Prompt return to full screen brightness after wake-up.
  • Upgraded Bluetooth firmware.
  • Improved interoperability with Microsoft Internet Application Gateway (IAG) configurations.
  • Device string format for Exchange changed to include device name and version number.
  • Upgrade to Google applications Release 7

For more information on the software update, hit up Verizon Wireless’ support forums located at http://www.verizonwireless.com/droidprosupport. More →

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Software
December 21, 2010
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Verizon introduces Mobile Email 4.0, brings Exchange to feature phones

By on December 21, 2010 at 4:59 AM.

Verizon introduces Mobile Email 4.0, brings Exchange to feature phones

Think you can avoid having corporate email on your mobile device by buying a feature phone? Think again, as today Verizon Wireless announced an update to its feature phone email solution, Mobile Email 4.0. The downloadable application will allow users to connect their non-smartphone devices to Microsoft’s Exchange environment, leverage push email, and utilize an integrated contact list. The service will retail for $5 per month and is available to those with a data plan of at least $15 per month. The software is currently compatible with eight VZW phones, including the Samsung Zeal, LG Cosmos Touch, and Pantech Crux. Hit the read link for the full PR. More →

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Exclusive
November 9, 2010
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Apple amends internal iPod water damage policy

By on November 9, 2010 at 10:10 AM.

Apple amends internal iPod water damage policy

Apple has made changes to its internal screening process pertaining to iPod liquid damage, a source told BGR. Apple builds a series of Liquid Contact Indicators (LCI) into its iPod line of devices. When these LCIs come in contact with moisture, they become activated. In the event of a warranty claim or other repair, the LCIs indicate to Apple that the device in question may have been affected by a liquid. Employees of Apple Stores and AppleCare Repair Centers then have specific guidelines used in the event liquid damage is suspected. Previously, the presence of an activated LCI within the headphone jack was cause enough for employees to state that an iPod may have been damaged by water or another liquid. Now, employees must first inspect the iPod for other signs of liquid damage before reaching that conclusion. It is currently not known if the new policy applies to iPhone models as well.

Whether or not Apple has concerns internally regarding the reliability of its LCI devices is unclear at this time. Apple may have also discovered LCIs located within the headphone jack are overly sensitive and activate even when they come in contact with permissible amounts of moisture.

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General
September 22, 2010
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Samsung and AT&T announce OTA software update for Captivate GPS bug

By on September 22, 2010 at 11:44 AM.

Samsung and AT&T announce OTA software update for Captivate GPS bug

Today, Samsung and AT&T announced an over-the-air update for the Captivate handset to address the units GPS performance. As the two companies state:

An update to improve the Samsung Captivate’s GPS performance is now available. Captivate customers will receive a notification on their device that an update is available and will simply need to download the file to update their phone. The updates will be pushed to customers’ devices over the next few weeks.

The update for the Captivate will also improve additional device functions, such as media scanning time, add the full version of QuickOffice and address Microsoft Exchange 2003 policy support.

We know that for many Captivate users this fix can’t come soon enough.

51 Comments
General
August 26, 2010
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CNET: Hotmail to get ActiveSync support on Monday

By on August 26, 2010 at 4:06 PM.

CNET: Hotmail to get ActiveSync support on Monday

According to a report filed by CNET, Microsoft’s free email service — Hotmail — will get Exchange ActiveSync support beginning on Monday. The site quotes Microsoft’s director of product management for the Windows Live, Dharmesh Mehta, as the source of the information. There isn’t much else to say about it, if you have a desktop client or mobile device that supports the ActiveSync protocol you’ll have access to push email, contacts, and calendar appointments in approximately four days. Any Hotmail users out there excited? More →

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Software
August 6, 2010
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Motorola employee states Android 2.2 for DROID X due by "early September"

By on August 6, 2010 at 6:48 AM.

Motorola employee states Android 2.2 for DROID X due by "early September"

Yesterday afternoon, a Motorola employee named Matt dropped this little nugget in the company’s official forums:

Some Droid X users are experiencing an issue using Exchange 2003 email. Though the email is arriving on the Droid X, no notifications are appearing. A fix for this will be included in the upgrade to Android 2.2 scheduled for deployment by early September.

The post is the closest thing to an official date released by Motorola; up until now the software update has been coming “soon” or “this summer.” Anybody disappointed by the September timeline? Anyone seeing the Exchange 2003 issue Matt goes on to mention in the post? More →

33 Comments
mobile
June 29, 2010
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iOS 4 Exchange synchronization complaints mount

By on June 29, 2010 at 10:13 AM.

iOS 4 Exchange synchronization complaints mount

ios-logo

Complaints are starting to mount from iOS 4 users that are having a difficult time synchronizing their iDevice with their Exchange environments. The bug in question prevents iOS 4 from synchronizing email, calendar, or contact data from a users Exchange server to an iOS 4 device (usually just one of the three data points won’t synchronize, and from the looks of it Calendar is the big one). Apple released a knowledge base article with a potential quick-fix, but a quick gander at the Apple discussion boards tells us that it didn’t quite get the job done. Add this latest snafu to the list of fires Apple is currently trying to extinguish. How about it, anyone having issues with their iOS 4 device synching to an Exchange server?

129 Comments
Software
June 9, 2010
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Office 2011 for Mac restricted to 32-bit

By on June 9, 2010 at 4:11 PM.

Office 2011 for Mac restricted to 32-bit

office-mac-2011-4

Oh man, this is definitely not something we wanted to hear: Microsoft has announced on its blog that Office for Mac 2011 will only ship as a 32-bit version. Citing a need for enhanced compatibility between the Office for Windows and Office for Mac over high-power performance, Microsoft said that it would not have been possible for its team to create a 64-bit version of Office 2011″because Apple’s frameworks require us to complete the move to Cocoa before we can build a 64-bit version.” Office 2011 is not 100% Cocoa. Microsoft is downplaying the lack of 64-bit support by stating that “most users with typical or even larger-than-average document content will not notice a difference in performance” and that the only area “64-bit can make a difference is for people working with huge amounts of data.” You know, like the professionals who are champing at the bit for Office 2011 and its inclusion of Outlook.

[Via ZDNet] More →

37 Comments
Software
June 8, 2010
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T-Mobile myTouch 3G to get official Android 2.2 update

By on June 8, 2010 at 7:36 PM.

T-Mobile myTouch 3G to get official Android 2.2 update

tmo-mytouch-3g-froyo

Not long after it pledged to update the myTouch 3G to Android 2.1, today a leaked document from T-Mobile revealed that the carrier is planning to further kick it up a notch with the release of Android 2.2. In addition to that, myTouch 3G owners will also get an updated version of the Faves Gallery alongside the addition to the Genius button and support for Exchange. No word yet on when the update will actually drop, but we imagine this update will involve at least a little bit of an agonizing wait.

More →

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Exclusive
April 23, 2010
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Hands on with Microsoft Office for Mac 2011

By on April 23, 2010 at 7:59 AM.

Hands on with Microsoft Office for Mac 2011

office-mac-2011-excel-2

Over the past few days we’ve been playing around the latest beta release of Microsoft Office for Mac 2011. Many of the changes made are hard to appreciate without actually seeing the application suite in use, and for that reason alone we have assembled a massive gallery of screenshots. On the other hand, images can be meaningless without a bit of an explanation so we’ve put down a brief summary of our initial thoughts. You can check them all out after the jump. More →

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