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Microsoft used to make a product called Mobile Information Server that allowed remote users to access Exchange through devices such as cell phones and PDAs. When Microsoft released Exchange 2003 though, they incorporated Mobile Information Server directly into the messaging server.
There are two different components used by Exchange's Mobile Information Services. The first of those services is Outlook Mobile Access (OMA), which is similar to Outlook Web Access, but with a more simplistic, non-graphical interface.
The other component is ActiveSync. ActiveSync synchronizes a mobile device with a user's Exchange resources (Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, etc.) This allows users to read and respond to e-mail, even when they are offline. The next time a user goes online (or when ActiveSync performs a scheduled synchronization), everything is synchronized. Messages that a user has composed are sent and new messages are downloaded to the mobile device.
Exchange's mobile information services are easy to set up. In fact, much of the configuration is already enabled by default.
Configuring Exchange Mobile Information Services
- Open the Exchange System Manager and navigate to Global Settings -> Mobile Services, right click on Mobile Services and select Properties. You'll see that the properties sheet's General tab is divided into two sections: Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile Access.
- In the ActiveSync section, there are three checkboxes, all of which are selected by default. These checkboxes control ActiveSync's behavior. In most cases, you will want to leave these checkboxes selected.
- The Outlook Mobile Access section contains two checkboxes, neither of which are selected automatically. To make OMA available to your users, you must select the 'Enable Outlook Mobile Access' checkbox.
- Once you select 'Enable Outlook Mobile Access,' the second checkbox will become available to you. This checkbox gives you the option to allow the use of mobile devices that Microsoft does not officially acknowledge as functioning with OMA. (There are a lot of unsupported devices that will work just fine with OMA.)
- Once you have selected the OMA options that you want to use, click OK and you will be returned to the main Exchange System Manager screen.
- Right click on the Mobile Services container and select the New -> Mobile Carrier options.
- Fill in the name of the carrier and the carrier's SMTP domain. For example, if you used Sprint PCS as a mobile domain, you'd enter Sprint PCS as the name and @sprintpcs.com as the SMTP domain. When you're done, click OK.
- Now all you have to do is to configure the device itself. This basically just involves establishing Internet connectivity.
- After doing so, you can access OMA by entering http://server's_IP_address/OMA into the mobile device's Web browser.
About the author: Brien M. Posey, MCSE, is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with Windows 2000 Server and IIS. Brien has served as the CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and was once in charge of IT security for Fort Knox. As a freelance technical writer he has written for Microsoft, CNET, ZDNet, TechTarget, MSD2D, Relevant Technologies and other technology companies. You can visit Brien's personal Web site at http://www.brienposey.com.
MEMBER FEEDBACK TO THIS TIP
I'm not sure that I understand the purpose of items six and seven, which have you creating a new mobile carrier domain. We use Sprint PCS at our organization in conjunction with Treo 600s and 650s. We don't have such an entry, yet access by OMA works fine. How does the carrier mobile domain (Sprint PCS, in both our cases) tie into our domain name if we don't use Sprint in any shape or form for mail services? Am I missing something?
—Robert T.
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The way that it works is that entering a mobile carrier is not a requirement. What it does is allow users to receive notifications via SMTP from their wireless service provider.
—Brien Posey, tip author
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By entering the SMTP domains under New -> Wireless carrier, are you saying that the notifications are sent/received via SMTP rather than SMS packets (where some plans have an associated charge over a certain number of SMS messages)?
—Jim R.
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I wish I had a better answer for you, but I really don't know which is used. Microsoft's documentation is pretty vague on this point. They just say to enter the wireless carrier's SMTP domain, but they never tell whether SMS or SMTP messages are used to send notifications. I suspect that SMS is used, but I don't really know.
—Brien Posey, tip author
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Great info but I'm still not clear on one thing... how do you use ActiveSync on the wireless device? Our staff already uses OMA on their wireless devices by going to the URL, but I'd like to take advantage of ActiveSync for our Treo 650 users so they don't need to go to the URL, etc. (access is a bit slow and they'd like a more "Outlook" feel when viewing their mailboxes). Does ActiveSync address these issues?
—Liz P.
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Check out Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2003. It has a new component that can directly push messages to mobile devices. I am not familiar with the device that your users are using, but if the device has Pocket Outlook built in, then users can receive messages without ever having to visit a URL.
—Brien Posey, tip author
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I'm trying to set this up because my user's Treo 650 hasn't work since the installation of SP2. I think it must be the SMS vs. HTTP thing. I've had to disable our spam filter in order for him to be able to synch at all with the Treo. Hopefully this will do it. We'll see.
—John O.
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I don't really know what to tell you because I have never run into this particular issue before.
—Brien Posey, tip author
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Even installing and configuring SP2 will not give you all of the features until your vendor (Verizon in our case) gives you the Messaging and Security feature pack from what I understand. I am told that it is still months off for us.
—Ken P.
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What happens when things don't work? What then? I keep getting 403.6 errors.
—Anonymous
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Check out this Microsoft KB article: "Troubleshooting error log messages in Microsoft Outlook Mobile Manager."
—Brien Posey, tip author
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We've been using VersaMail and Palm Treo 650s with Sprint PCS to sync to Exchange e-mail for over one year now. VersaMail came preinstalled on the Treos. Last week, I configured a Palm Treo 700 running Windows Mobile 5.0 to sync e-mail as well. Everything has been fine.
This week, I installed Exchange Service Pack 2. After some minor issues, everything has been running smoothly. I have confirmed that the direct push is working with the Treo 700. I haven't checked how the upgrade has affected the Treo 650s. On the 700, I can sync e-mail, calendar, contacts and tasks with our Exchange server. Sweet!
—Winston K.
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We have Outlook Mobile Access set up for Exchange Server but attachments are not accessible. Is this the default? Can the sever administrator adjust this setting?
—Fern C.
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This can be done when you are setting up ActiveSync.
At one point in the process, you will see a bunch of check boxes that allow you to choose which types of information you want to synchronize (Inbox, calendar, etc.). Select the Inbox option and click the Settings button. This will cause ActiveSync to display the Inbox Synchronization Settings dialog box. This dialog box contains an Include File Attachments check box.
It's a good idea to also adjust the maximum message and attachment size to avoid getting too much or too little data.
—Brien Posey, tip author
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I would like to know if Winston K. can give an example of the Exchange configuration on the Palm Treo 700. I'm having problems setting up the device with ActiveSync. The connection from the Palm Treo to the Exchange server is not functioning correctly using ActiveSync. OMA works fine and I have no problems with that.
Can someone help out?
—Hortensia R.
Do you have comments on this tip? Let us know.
More information from SearchExchange.com:
Crash Course: Exchange ActiveSync tips and tutorials
Learning Guide: Exchange Server mobile device management
Tip: Forms-based authentication errors with OMA and ActiveSync
Tip: Mass-enabling or disabling Outlook Mobile Access permissions
Tip: Text messaging with Outlook 2003
Tip Library: Exchange Admin 101 tips
Reference Center: Mobile device tips and resources
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