Push email with SP2? Not yet...
When Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 became available, Microsoft hurried to announce the new direct push email feature, a method by which one can keep their mobile device always synchronized with the email server. This kind of functionality is not exactly new, since Exchange Server 2003 already had a mechanism to do that, Always-Up-To-Date (AUTD). But AUTD is not very efficient since it uses SMS messages.
Blackberry already had this kind of mobile messaging solution, which became very popular in some countries like the United States. This was probably one of the reasons for Microsoft include direct push email and to announce it so effusively. But for this feature to work, it still lacks one piece of the puzzle: Messaging & Security Feature Pack. The complete requirements are:
- Exchange Server 2003 SP2
- Devices with Windows Mobile 5.0
- Devices with Messaging & Security Feature Pack
The main problem is that this Feature Pack is not yet available and it will be distributed exclusively through OEMs and Operators. It is scheduled to be available from Q1 2006, but till then, Microsoft's direct push email is nothing but a mirage (but believe me, when it'll arrive, it'll make the waiting worth while)
Related links: