I thought about why Microsoft would do this and I have a few ideas on this:
1) Generate and get some money out of Apple's sales of the iPhone. It's clear that they'll get chunk of it and having exposure in an Apple product (MS Exchange is listed at the top of the mail client options based on the photos) is probably still important. Microsoft is everywhere you go even in an Apple product!
2) Make Exchange the defacto standard for small and large businesses regardless of operating system. This gives more potential marketshare for those all Mac shops that don't have an Exchange server or weren't willing to put one in because they didn't need one. They may rethink that if they have iPhone users who need push email. Not to mention the Lotus Notes users! (I still don't know why Notes is around...God help Notes users!)
3) Completely hypothetical but it's possible that Microsoft may partnered with Apple to try to push RIM out from first place keeping Apple and WM on top.
The real downside for MS:
Microsoft's mobile OS market may shrink dramatically. Most users I know hold off on the iPhone because of email support in the corporate world. This will release the flood gates and increase Apple's share exponentially. Yes, as someone else pointed out, it looks like Palm=MS this time around. I know some corporate execs are watering at the mouth because now they can get one because it will be supported.
It doesn't mean the end of WM. With WM 6.1 and 7 on it's way, it still has life. It's a very open platform to develop on. WM is completely customizable and you don't need Microsoft's approval for it. It'll still be king for nerds, tinkers and Windows users, but the focus is no longer on the consumer as far as MS is concerned. To make something popular, you go for the mass market and Apple has done that.
MS needs to go for the common market too. They've concentrated too much on the enterprise (which they have locked up for years) and Apple has gained in reputation because of it.
We'll have to wait and see what MS does. Maybe this means better software for all of us.
I've actually contemplated going with the iPhone, the OS is just a really quick, slick, elegant OS compared to WinMo. This may seem funny, but the main reason holding me back is the lack of Tasks. But with Exchange support, I wonder if Tasks will be forthcoming, and over-the-air syncing with Exchange.
Alex, it's great to hear that PI is in the works for the iPhone, I hope this fills in the gaps where the built-in PIM apps are lacking.
Even though MS is making royalties from licensing Activesync, I wonder if they just shot themselves in the foot?
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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...
That is unlikely to happen in the near future, seeing as how Apple signed a 5-year deal with AT&T to get the revenue sharing, visual voicemail, etc.
I also find the app distribution model very interesting. Apple will maintain the app store, and will allow purchases both over iTunes and the iPhone. They'll keep 30% of costs, but will allow free apps to be distributed for free. This is going to get to be very very interesting competition for WM.
I thought why Microsoft would do this and I have a few thoughts on this:
Excellent points, Stake. Also keep in mind that the Exchange and WM divisions in MS are separate, and have somewhat separate goals. That's why Microsoft has also licensed Exchange ActiveSync to Palm (i.e. Garnet), Symbian, etc. Hasn't there also been rumors that Bill doesn't carry a WM device himself?
Still, I'm a little surprised this happened so quickly (well, June is when the 2.0 software update will be released, presumably at WWDC).
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 )
I do think WM7 will be great for a lot of things. But I don't see it really stunting the iPhone honestly. It'll be just enough to keep it at bay.
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.
Not really. It could be one less person using a RIM, or a Moto phone, or any other phone that's not a WM device. And now MS will collect some money on any of those cases.
Excellent points, Stake. Also keep in mind that the Exchange and WM divisions in MS are separate, and have somewhat separate goals. That's why Microsoft has also licensed Exchange ActiveSync to Palm (i.e. Garnet), Symbian, etc. Hasn't there also been rumors that Bill doesn't carry a WM device himself?
I'm aware, but why would you want to give your competition something it desperately needed to potentially kill off your own product? I can understand licensing to Symbian and Palm but they were never a real threat to WM. The MS mobile division must have something else up their sleeves (read: killer Zune Phone)
Another thought some guys have mentioned is will MS license this to the desktop side and integrate it with Apple's Mail program? I couldn't see them do this. Why wouldn't they just do this with Entourage and make it the premiere email platform for Apple? That would make more sense for Microsoft.
Adding to my point in trying to push RIM out of the picture...I think they are also trying to guard against Android from cutting into the pie as well. And I know that Microsoft would rather be in bed with Apple than Google.
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
Hi ALex,
Flex Mail is indeed a nice product, however I think it misses the mark when it comes to identities. Many people these days have several email addresses. I myself use a specific email when posting to forums and a completely different address when respoding to clients and business contacts. Even though I have multiple addresses I want one single location from which I manage me email/schedule/etc ... Flex mail uses accounts in place of identities. In my case I have one email mailbox and have domain/email aliases that direct incoming mail into one mailbox. This way I pay for one single mailbox (I use Zimbra) yet can send out email as any one of my identities. Flex Mail forces users to create seperate accounts for each identity that they want to use to send outgoing mail even though these accounts are not checked or really used. What I think there is a market for is an email client that allows users to create identities and just have one mailbox/account. Blackberry is also lacking in this area.
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...
That is unlikely to happen in the near future, seeing as how Apple signed a 5-year deal with AT&T to get the revenue sharing, visual voicemail, etc.
That was... umm... kinda the point I was making.
***long quote trimmed by mod JD*** ***That's a long quote? -Bearxor***
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