Mail for Microsoft Exchange goes live
Posted by Greg Kumparak on July 24th, 2007 at 11:11 PM
It’s one of the most requested features on the Ocean, and it’s finally here!
Sometime within the last few hours, “Mail for Microsoft Exchange” popped up in the Messaging section of the Ocean. Clicking it takes you to an information page.
Page contents:
“Wirelessly synchronize your Microsoft Office Outlook Email, Calendar, and Contacts from a Microsoft Exchange Server.
Requirements: Your work uses Exchange 2003 SP2 or 2007 with Outlook Mobile Access enabled for Exchange ActiveSync. Confirm compatibility with your IT Support if unsure.
Cost: $9.99/month (subscribe today and get your first 2 months free!)”
It may surprise some to see a fee attached. However, unlike other fees, we don’t think it’s unreasonable. This application surely took quite a bit of work on Helio’s end, along with possible licensing fees paid to Microsoft (Confirmed). If you’re one of the folks out there needing Exchange support, hopefully your work will reimburse you.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:27 am
This is a buch of crap; Fee based for Active Exchange? That should be included with the “all in” plan. All In my ass. Im new to helio and so far my browser( ocean ) crashes 50% of the time and i cant Text my friends on other carriers 10% of the time; when you text message people about 100 times a day thats a lot! They really need to add this in for free otherwise Im outta here.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:39 am
Well, um, hm. I want it. I do! Ten dollars a month want it? Hmmm… well… huh.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:00 am
It hasn’t popped up for me…
July 25th, 2007 at 6:05 am
I don’t see it on my yet either, but I’m not really that worried about it. I don’t think my workplace is ready to reimburse for it yet, so I’m not going to sweat it until they’re ready to panic over why I’m not checking emails at 3 in the morning on weekends.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:14 am
I think the fee is unreasonable. Yes, I’m sure it was a lot of work, but it was presented as part of the solution. Even now, on their web site, as a prospective user there is no indication that accessing Exchange mail will incur an extra cost.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:16 am
An additional comment…I think Helio does a really bad job of notifying customers about new features like this. I should have gotten an email before Gizmodo…
July 25th, 2007 at 6:55 am
Personally I think that’s bullsh*t. One of the reasons I purchased this phone (which still isn’t active TWO WEEKS after buying it) was that exchange support was “coming soon”. How convenient that there was no mention of a fee until it was released. How many people are locked into two year contracts, and will now have to add $10/month to their bill to use this feature?
July 25th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Way to sell out. One visit to the Helio offices and now their insane fees are suddenly reasonable? This is really pathetic. There’s no way they should be able to get away with charging a fee for something that the Ocean was advertised as having back in May.
This is MUCH, MUCH more revolt-worthy than the YouTube thing, as Exchange (assuming the Ocean implementation supports push email) appears to be the one reliable way to get email and the ONLY way to sync a calendar.
Though I expect this kind of stuff from Helio (who have proven time and time again that they really don’t get it), it’s a surprise and a disappointment coming from Heliocity.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:54 am
try pressing 277 and then “jump”.. or just go to the web, then go to the store, and then “apps”.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:12 am
I am cool with them charging for this, but a little disappointed all the same. I am hoping that Helio will implement GCal integration for those of us who have no need/ can’t use MS exchange, but still want calendar integration.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:39 am
If it doesn’t appear automatically, open one of your mailboxes and do a “Send/Receive.” That made it appear for me.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:44 am
I love to see that Helio is responding to its customers. I just can’t wait to see what’s next!
July 25th, 2007 at 9:49 am
10 dollars a month? this is just like the youtube fiasco. they are just seeing what they can get away with. It seems like this is one of the features they will chalk up on their feature list to compare it to the iphone. Great, the ocean now trumps the iphone in native exchange support, but when the iphone adds features (and it certainly will) apple/att is not going to start charging 10 dollars a month to enjoy them. I’m not even opposed to paying for the “licensing fee’s”, but sell me the client as a downloadable app, and get rid of the monthly fees.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:56 am
I haven’t switched to Helio (yet). In researching this service the past couple weeks I read numerous times that ActiveSync support is “upcoming”, with no mention of a fee. I would have been pretty dissapointed if I had purchased two Oceans only to find out later that I’d have to pay extra for ActiveSync.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:00 am
If you synchronize your contacts it will pop up as well.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:42 am
It is a reasonable fee for someone who is in actual need of it for an enterprise set-up but their company probably would have already gotten them a blackberry or something else that had supported it. I think it would be nice of them to offer for free though. Hope no one bought an ocean expecting the exchange support to be free I guess. I am very happy Helio did get it out there though so they can work on other things now
July 25th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Great, I’ll never use it. Now how do I delete it from the menu?
July 25th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
I need Exchange for work so I have to pay it…but what is driving me nuts is that I have all my work emails set to go to different folders depending who they are from, so I can keep my inbox more manageable. BUT, on the Ocean when you hit Send and Recieve for Exchange, it only checks the inbox, not the folders, you have to click settings, view all folders, select your folder and then click synch. Thats a lot of flipping work, sigh, when you have a ton of folders. I am dissapointed.