Can't be bothered to carry around a hulking business phone but still need to keep an eye on your Inbox this summer? We show you how to access your Exchange e-mail - and more - on any phone you like.
As is well known, business phones don't exactly have a reputation for being the sleekest of handsets - so why lug one around if all you need is the ability to keep an eye on your Inbox? This summer, all you need to ditch the corporate-issued phone is a small dose of technical know-how and a sense of adventure; the following tips will work with most any recent phone, and if not we kindly suggest you get yourself a new one.
Go Java
Starting off with the most straightforward solution available, we find the Java version of DataViz' RoadSync software which utilizes Microsoft's own Exchange ActiveSync protocol - identical to the one used by Windows Mobile phones for synchronization - to snag your e-mail. After obtaining the necessary data from your friendly Exchange administrator, simply follow the step-by-step instructions on the company's site and you'll have access to the last week's worth of e-mail and will be able to download messages either in full or part; reply; forward; compose; delete; and prioritize to your heart's content.
Go native
Most recent handsets come touting their own e-mail applications which typically support either the POP3 or IMAP4 protocol. Most groupware solutions, including Exchange, supports accessing accounts by way of either, although setting up native e-mail clients can involve a certain amount of fiddling to gain full receive/send capabilities. In return, users may gain the ability to configure scheduled retrievals and perhaps even alerts depending on the particular make and model of their handset.
Go OMA
As it happens, the Greek word for 'granny' also happens to be the abbreviation for Outlook Mobile Access, which is a so-called HTML gateway to data stored in your Exchange account. If you've ever used Outlook Web Access in a web browser, think of OMA as a pared-down version which still enables you to access nearly all of your data, albeit in a clumsy and time-consuming manner through the browser of most recent handsets. This solution requires manual log-in and is less than elegant in use, but has the distinct benefit of providing access to not only e-mail but also contacts, appointments, tasks and notes.
Go go Google
If none of the above will work for you, consider the following as a last and nearly surefire resort: auto-forwarding your e-mail to a GMail account and access it through the mobile version of your personalized Google home page. Supported and enabled in the vast majority of groupware solutions and configurations, this little hack will enable you to read incoming mail through a reasonable straightforward user interface which also has the benefit of being browser accessible and comes with a superb spam filter to boot. It may not be pretty - but it works, and we're betting you won't mind if it lets you log a few more hours in your favourite leisure suit.
_it00.jpg)
|
Archive