Friday, July 18, 2008

iPhone 2.0 (3g), iTouch (iPod) 2.0, and Microsoft Exchange!

Last year none of us were thrilled with the iPhone because of its poor Exchange integration.  We've completed all of our testing this week and find that iPhone 2.0 and iTouch 2.0 are a fantastic improvement. If you can get past the on-screen keyboard and willing to stick with ATT for your cellular needs, the iPhone is a good alternative to Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.
 
iPhone 2.0:  Assuming you are running Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2 AND you have the HTTPS functions enabled (you do if you previously used a Windows Mobile phone) setup is a breeze. Just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account > Microsoft Exchange.   Specify your email address, domain\username, and password and have it do the rest.  The iPhone will automatically download and install the SSL Security Certificate. Should it fail, you will be given an option to specify the MS Exchange Server address, which has to be the public address to your network; typically it appears as "mail.yourdomainname.com".  The phone will do the rest, but you might need to tell it to synch your calendar and also adjust preferences.
 
iTouch/iPod:  First you need to use iTunes and buy/download the 2.0 software for $9.95.  Once you acquire the 220 MB file and install it the iPod will synch.  Be prepared to loose all your data, so be sure to back it up before then.  The rest of the setup is just as easy as the iPhone.  Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account > Microsoft Exchange.   Specify your email address, domain\username, and password and have it do the rest.  The iPhone will automatically download and install the SSL Security Certificate. Should it fail, you will be given an option to specify the MS Exchange Server address, which has to be the public address to your network; typically it appears as "mail.yourdomainname.com".  The phone will do the rest, but you might need to tell it to synch your calendar and also adjust preferences.
 
If you need help, give our tech team a call.
 
-Karl J.