platforms, the companies say.
(Click here for a larger view of the ActiveSync control panel in Windows Mobile)According to Gecad, licensing and adoption of the Exchange ActiveSync protocol means that the Axigen Mail Server products, version 7.0, can synchronize e-mail messages, calendar items, contacts, task lists, and other mailbox data with Windows Mobile phones, among others. Offered on a variety of Windows and Linux platforms, the Axigen servers also support SMTP, POP3, and IMAP, and include multiple anti-virus and anti-spam tools, the company says.
Rather than requiring new software to be installed on a phone, the Axigen connectivity merely taps into a protocol that was originally designed merely to let Windows phones connect to Microsoft's Exchange Server products. The Exchange ActiveSync protocol is now available on more than 170 different smartphones, and has been licensed to companies including Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Sony Ericsson, and Symbian, according to Microsoft.
Naturally, Exchange ActiveSync is an integral part of Windows Mobile. But, more surprisingly, it also runs on Apple's iPhone, thanks to a March 2008 agreement billed as a "true collaboration between Microsoft and Apple." And just last month,
Google licensed Exchange ActiveSync too, allowing users of its GoogleSync service to trade contacts and calendar information with their smartphones.
BackgroundMicrosoft's "ActiveSync" moniker actually has been used to denote two related, but separate software offerings. The first of these is a synchronization program -- first called Handheld PC Explorer, then renamed
ActiveSync for Windows XP, and
Windows Mobile Device Center for Windows Vista -- designed to trade information between a Windows CE or Windows Mobile device and a desktop computer. This product only works via a serial cable, USB, Bluetooth, or other local connection.
The second offering is the synchronization and push messaging component, Exchange ActiveSync, that made its debut with Microsoft's
Exchange Server 2003. Exchange ActiveSync, which has been licensed since 2003 and steadily enhanced, now pushes messages to mobile devices, allows searching through email that's resident on enterprise servers, and provides task synchronization, according to Microsoft.
David Kaefer, general manager of Intellectual Property Licensing at Microsoft, said, "Gecad came to us a few months ago because it recognizes, like so many technology companies across Europe, that a way to spur growth in our industry is to license patented technology for mutual benefit. People -- and companies -- want to know their communications foundation is secure, reliable and accessible across many mobile devices, from PDAs to smartphones."
Further information For more details about Gecad's Axigen Mail Servers, which run on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and a variety of Linux flavors, see the company's website,
here.
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