Mobile Messaging in Exchange 2010

When Exchange Server 2007 was released, mobile messaging was at best in its adolescence. Most mobile messaging users at that time were signed up with the BlackBerry service as the only viable option for enterprise level mobile messaging (34 million subscribers). Today, as we see so much with modern technology, people seem to be unable to live without getting their e-mail on their phone. So let’s see what Exchange Server 2010 now brings to the table.

One of the things that I like the most is that Exchange now is able to automatically synchronize with mobile devices over the cellular signal. Of course this is expected for messages, but Exchange also syncs up calendar items and contacts to make sure that users always has the most up to date information. Taking this even further, Exchange Server 2010 also gives users access to unified messaging features, allowing them to access their work voice mail from the mail application, and use speech-to-text voice mail preview the voice mail messages. Using Exchange ActiveSync over the air, you can also now see free/busy information in real time when checking a contact’s calendar availability allowing you to schedule meetings on the fly.

The mobile client also now is able to search the user’s entire mailbox for specific messages. This is cool because the typical user will only want to store their most recent few hundred messages at most on the device (so don’t run out of storage space). With Exchange ActiveSync, the search is sent from the mobile device to the server, where the search is performed, and then the results are returned to the phone.

Now to take advantage of all the new mobile messaging features, the users must be using a device running Windows Mobile 6.1 or later. All the features are automatically available to the users without any additional installation or configuration once Exchange 2010 is deployed in the organization.