Mobile messaging options with Microsoft Exchange

By Tyson Greer

At the Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain, the judges gave the award for “Best Mobile Enterprise Product or Service” to Windows Mobile 6. What is of interest to business owners are the judges’ comments: “A leading platform for business owing to the ease of integration with Microsoft Exchange infrastructure. For the SMB market in particular, Windows Mobile 6 is an attractive proposition.“

How does your company get e-mail now? Does your e-mail give your company the service (and give your customers the perception) you want to meet your strategic objectives? Can you share calendars and set up “Out of Office” automated replies?

To take full advantage of the benefits of business class e-mail on a Windows Mobile phone, it may be time for you to consider the value of moving to a mobile messaging solution based on Microsoft Exchange Server. A Microsoft Exchange Server mobile messaging solution is not just for big business.

Small business options

Companies have three options for moving to Exchange mobile messaging.

Microsoft Hosted Exchange provides you with all the operational benefits of a business class messaging system, but none of the responsibility for running it, since you partner with a Hosted Exchange provider who manages administration on a “pay as you go” subscription basis.
Windows Small Business Server (SBS) is a bundle of Microsoft technologies including Windows Server, SharePoint Portal Server, and Exchange Server. SBS is designed to meet the networking and messaging needs of small to medium-sized companies including file and printer sharing, security management, access to data when away from the office, and a full-featured Exchange Server messaging system that extends to Windows Mobile phones.
On-premises Exchange Server is a stand-alone single or distributed server solution that delivers a complete messaging solution, including mobile messaging.

As Alberto Martinez, marketing manager for Windows Mobile said, "With any of the applicable solutions, the ‘what’ is the same; it’s the ‘how’ that is different." We’ll look at the Exchange mobile messaging options from the ‘why’ point of view of three different businesses: a small insurance company, a medical practice, and a law firm. These three businesses want to provide their employees with a mobile messaging solution that enables them to get things done and stay connected throughout the day.

The similarities

All three options are based on Exchange messaging combined with Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile (free with Windows Mobile smartphones). Some of the capabilities include:

Continuous (“Direct Push”) synchronization between Outlook Mobile (on Windows Mobile phones) and Microsoft Exchange Server of your e-mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks—with rich formatting retained.
Access to e-mail when offline so you have access to downloaded information whether or not you have a wireless connection (for example, when you’re on an airplane).
Ability to view, save, and send attachments so you can work with documents and pictures on your phone at your convenience.
Access to company directory via Global Address List (GAL) so you can find contact information for anyone in your company, wherever you are.
Ability to set, clear, or complete flags that serve as reminders on outgoing or incoming e-mail, just as on the desktop.
Enterprise messaging features that give you a rich messaging experience with the ability to set up out-of-office automated replies; fully search all Exchange folders; remotely wipe storage cards; and use rich formatting of HTML e-mail, which preserves pictures, charts, tables, and hyperlinks.

The differences

One size does not fit all when it comes to choosing a mobile messaging solution. The chart below highlights key differences between the Exchange mobile messaging solutions.

Features and requirements Hosted Exchange SBS On-premises Exchange

Monthly subscription “pay as you go” fees Yes No No

Up-front investment in server software and training No
Yes Yes

Requires at least one in-house staff member to deploy, manage, and support server software No Yes Yes

Ability to scale cost of the service up or down quickly as needed Yes No No

Data back-up capabilities Yes Yes Yes

Printer networking Yes Yes Yes

Imagine three business decision makers who want the same full-messaging capabilities, but have different business needs.

Meet Robert, owner of a small insurance company, who needs his insurance agents and claims adjusters to respond quickly to customers. Adjusters in particular spend most of their time in the field, and need to be able to receive or access “facts of loss” reports e-mailed by the claims broker. The company does not have a person on staff with IT expertise and has other priorities for capital investments, and so Robert prefers subscription pricing model and the flexibility of a Hosted Exchange solution. Hosted Exchange is the perfect solution for Robert’s company.
Meet Mai Ling, co-owner of a medical practice that must comply with medical records requirements and serve patients in the office and in hospital. The medical practice already has an IT specialist on board and needs to pay strict attention to complying with patient privacy regulations. Mai Ling sees the cost of a Small Business Server as a capital investment that keeps her company in direct control of information and messaging via Exchange Server. The data protection provided by the robust firewall of Windows Server and the internal document and information sharing capabilities of SharePoint Portal Server are also valuable services for Mai Ling and her partners to invest in. Small Business Server makes the most sense for Mai Ling’s practice.
Meet Eduardo, founder of a law firm that requires its attorneys to respond quickly to clients, whether the attorneys are in or out of the office. The firm, which uses Windows Mobile phones, has an internal IT group who maintains an extensive knowledge management system and has responsibility for managing the company’s messaging system. Eduardo views the Exchange mobile messaging system as a critical extension of an important business tool for attorneys and staff.

Next steps

To find out more about which mobile messaging option is right for your company, view these resources:

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About the author

Tyson Greer is CEO of Ambient Insight LLC, an integrity-based market research firm that specializes in wireless productivity tools, and mobile products and services. The company uses predictive analytics to identify revenue opportunities for suppliers. As a mobile maven, Tyson makes it a habit to keep in close touch with colleagues and customers on the latest mobile device she can get her hands on.