Ok well here is new news from my front. My boss got his iPhone today and set it up and everything. Had newer software on it then the normal revision. Dont ask me for the number or anything, i dont know, and he wont let me touch it. He signed an NDA. However, what is interesting is that the support in this updates iPhone software so ridiculous that hes sending it back to apple. He loves it as a phone, but apple is sucking it up right now in the corporate world. He used it for 5 hours today trying to get through meetings and leaving his blackjack at his desk. He couldnt do it and after 3 hours shut it off and sent it on its way back home to apple. I dont know if this is a sign of things to come, but if it is dont hold your breath apple is no where close to getting this done right.
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iPhone Corportate E-Mail (Exchange Support)
- Thread starter DSchwartz88
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D- I'm sure you were just baning this out as fast as you can for us, and we appreciate it, but the typos have lost me in the above sentence...not to be a d*ck
Sorry, what i meant to say was that the exchange support in this new updated iphone software sucked enough that my boss didnt give it a second chance and sent it back the same day. Basically the iphone has a long way to go before it replaces a windows mobile phone or blackberry, in that aspect.
Hmmm...I never said that the situation was dire. I simply listed my arguments for better corporate integration.
Apple clearly released a consumer-oriented device, and they released it with the most solid set of software they could deliver given the target date. It's clear that some things were rushed and required additional development resources. At least this is the reason Apple gave for delaying the launch of Leopard.
The launch was obviously not going to be impacted by corporate customers, but there is certainly pent up demand for this support as well as a number of other features/enhancements/bug fixes, etc.
Make sense?
--DotComCTO
That's really bad news if true. However, it seems odd that someone in a beta would immediately send a device back to Apple. Being in a beta means extended testing, reporting of issues, testing updates/patches. Sending a test unit back after a few hours of testing is odd to say the least.
Any word on what "sucked" about it? Oh...and I presume that the "push" functionality was implemented using Exchange ActiveSync?
Thanks.
--DotComCTO
What is odd is that Apple is beta testing software with third parties, which they have never done before; and its even odder they would need to do it with something as simple and mature (to a degree, I guess) as Exchange. Exchange either works or it doesn't. They will either provide support for Calendar and AddressBook syncing or they won't. There is no need for some brand new Exchange beta testing policy.
What is odd is that this story has made it to page 2. Somebody probably won a bet.
The only thing that makes it not odd is that Steve Jobs mentioned that Apple is currently testing 'better corporate integration' with well-known, recognizable companies. That would imply an external beta test program.
You're quite right about integration with Exchange and ActiveSync, though. I can only surmise that Apple wants to make sure they get it right the first time?
...and the more I think about it...it seems too weird that someone would return a test iPhone after a few hours of use. I've participated in numerous beta tests over the past 25 years in IT. I've never thrown in the towel on a beta. I may set something aside until some showstopper bug is fixed, but I've never quit a beta immediately. This story just sounds wrong to me.
--DotComCTO
Sorry to derail but....
It's amazing how many people use this phrase incorrectly. Why even make the statement if you COULD care less. It's "couldn't" care less. Come on!
This drives me nuts too! If you could care les, you still care- it's I couldn't care less!
I believe there are at least three different widely used versions of the Exchange Server software, each of which can be configured in a number of ways, and each of which may be running on a wide variety of hardware. It makes perfect sense to me that they would want to test any iPhone solution under real-world conditions before making any kind of announcement.
Yeah, you may be right but I still find a few things out of place.
1. Even a "limited" beta with "companies you would recognize" probably couldn't be kept a secret. Have you ever heard of a multi-company test that didn't get leaked?
2. What will be the desktop software? Outlook is the only desktop software that syncs well with Exchange (don't get me started on Entourage's piss poor Exchange support) so will this be accompanied with a new Entourage? A new mail.app? So is there new software also floating around we haven't heard of? If there is no new software will Apple release a version of the iPhone OS X with a more robust feature set for Windows than Mac OS X?
I'm hopeful for full Exchange support on the Mac and iPhone. The fact that we are at 10.4 without it is moronic. Look, Apple, Microsoft won that war; license Exchange already so we can use macs at work. But I'm skeptical about inside reports, thats all.
Over the Air Sync like Blackberrys and Windows Mobile
I hope they don't plan to do some kind of MAC or PC SYNC. We need Over the Air Sync like other mobile devices.
I hope they don't plan to do some kind of MAC or PC SYNC. We need Over the Air Sync like other mobile devices.