Apple Licenses ActiveSync From Microsoft for iPhone

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/03/05...-roadmap-event/

"Apple is hosting a media event today to outline the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) and "some exciting new enterprise features". There have been a collection of rumors suggesting that Apple may not be able to deliver the final SDK immediately. That hasn't stopped a number of companies, such as reQall (memory aid), Six Apart (blogging software), and Freeverse (sports games), from announcing their intentions to write iPhone native applications with the new SDK. Meanwhile MySpace and SlingMedia have been rumored to be early recipients of the unreleased development kit."

Love it or hate it, the iPhone is rapidly shaping up to be the 800 pound Gorilla in the US smartphone market, if not from a market-share perspective quite yet, certainly from a mindshare perspective. The iPhone is on fire, and Apple's announcement about the SDK is like gasoline on that fire - the iPhone represents a new, and quite likely lucrative market for developers to tap into (right Alex?). On the Windows Mobile side of things, we still have all that slick native Exchange support, so those iPhone users can keep their slick screen rotating to themselves. Uh, right?

Wrong. Apparently, Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft. Check it:

"Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft and will be incorporating native ActiveSync and Exchange support into the iPhone's existing apps (mail, cal, contacts)."

There were some kludges involving Plaxo to push Outlook data around, but native support means the iPhone now has the most potent feature for Enterprise markets. And if it's also easy to develop for, you'll likely see line of business applications appear for it - and that's not good news for Windows Mobile, which since the iPhone launch has had the unfortunate perception of being a stagnant platform (in the eyes of some).

Oh well - at least use Windows Mobile users can look up contacts much faster than the iPhone users can...for now.

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/03/05...-roadmap-event/

"Apple is hosting a media event today to outline the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) and "some exciting new enterprise features". There have been a collection of rumors suggesting that Apple may not be able to deliver the final SDK immediately. That hasn't stopped a number of companies, such as reQall (memory aid), Six Apart (blogging software), and Freeverse (sports games), from announcing their intentions to write iPhone native applications with the new SDK. Meanwhile MySpace and SlingMedia have been rumored to be early recipients of the unreleased development kit."

Love it or hate it, the iPhone is rapidly shaping up to be the 800 pound Gorilla in the US smartphone market, if not from a market-share perspective quite yet, certainly from a mindshare perspective. The iPhone is on fire, and Apple's announcement about the SDK is like gasoline on that fire - the iPhone represents a new, and quite likely lucrative market for developers to tap into (right Alex?). On the Windows Mobile side of things, we still have all that slick native Exchange support, so those iPhone users can keep their slick screen rotating to themselves. Uh, right?

Wrong. Apparently, Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft. Check it:

"Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft and will be incorporating native ActiveSync and Exchange support into the iPhone's existing apps (mail, cal, contacts)."

There were some kludges involving Plaxo to push Outlook data around, but native support means the iPhone now has the most potent feature for Enterprise markets. And if it's also easy to develop for, you'll likely see line of business applications appear for it - and that's not good news for Windows Mobile, which since the iPhone launch has had the unfortunate perception of being a stagnant platform (in the eyes of some).

Oh well - at least use Windows Mobile users can look up contacts much faster than the iPhone users can...for now.

[alex_kac]

Pocket Informant and Note2Self for iPhone are planned and already being worked on. So yeah. The dev environment mentioned there makes me gush like a little girl.

Purchase directly on device, update apps automatically. Very cool. 70% dev revenue.

Yeah, I'm excited.

[bearxor]

I've been an exclusive WM user for about 6 years now...

Never thought I would own an iPhone...

The only thing holding me back after this announcement is the complete lack of 3G service for AT&T in my area. If the iPhone was available for Sprint and had EVDO, I would already be heading down to the store...

[efjay]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

and that's not good news for Windows Mobile, which since the iPhone launch has had the unfortunate perception of being a stagnant platform (in the eyes of some).

Actually if we are being honest WM HAS become stagnant, apart from HTC trickling down hardware features with each successive handset release how much has the actual OS changed? If MS has the will shouldnt they be able to come up with a new UI in short order? Look at the work of freeware devs - PocketCM, Pointui, various cube copycats. There is now a new gesture-based calendar app in alpha you can download. Yet where is MS's effort?

As with so many things Microsoft I think it will be too little, too late. With native Exchange connectivity corporate demand for the iphone will definitely start to outpace WM, which leaves MS with nothing since their handsets are primarily business focused. Lets not forget Google's Android platform coming this year as well. And by the time WM7 hits we could be looking at a G2 iphone with 3G, add to that 3rd party apps being freely available and what exactly would be the attraction of a WM handset?

[RogueSpear]

History has a way of repeating itself, no?

Microsoft looks a little like Palm did three years ago.

[DerekTheGeek]

Microsoft's stance with Windows Mobile has always been to design minimalist applications and let the independent developers fill in the space. Pocket Informant is a great example. Had Microsoft designed an awesome PIM from the start they may have never been a need for Pocket Informant.

There are still many apps to write for Windows Mobile and Blackberry. For example, I have yet to find an elegant solution to allow sending email from multiple accounts (i.e. email identities).

- DTG

[alex_kac]

Originally Posted by DerekTheGeek

There are still many apps to write for Windows Mobile and Blackberry. For example, I have yet to find an elegant solution to allow sending email from multiple accounts (i.e. email identities).

- DTG

I would ask you how FlexMail 4 doesn't solve that issue, but this is an iphone post

[Eitel]

Originally Posted by RogueSpear

History has a way of repeating itself, no?

Microsoft looks a little like Palm did three years ago.

You're missing an important point. Microsoft is licensing ActiveSync to Apple, which means, that for every single iPhone that has it, Microsoft is getting paid.

[virain]

Microsoft is cooking something new, WM 7. From what I understand it should be something completely new mand it should be out sometimes next year. That might explain why MS is so relactant to make any drastic changes to WM 6. Good luck all you iPhoners, I stick with WM (waiting for SE Experia )

[RogueSpear]

Originally Posted by Eitel

You're missing an important point. Microsoft is licensing ActiveSync to Apple, which means, that for every single iPhone that has it, Microsoft is getting paid.

I think you're missing part of the point as well. For every iPhone that gets sold, that's one less person using WM device. I gave up on Microsoft and went with an iPhone myself. The Exchange stuff really doesn't excite me all that much however. I would much preferred to have seen something that better tied in Google's apps, but I suppose we have Android to look forward to for that.