IPhone gains Exchange support

Microsoft Exchange support has come to the iPhone -- but not from Apple.

Synchronica PLC, an international provider of mobile-synchronization and device-management solutions, Wednesday announced that Mobile Gateway 3.0 supports over-the-air synchronization between Microsoft Exchange and the iPhone.

The move means mobile operators and service providers will be able offer mobile synchronization using Exchange to business users and prosumers.

This means iPhone users will be able to safely access corporate emails without causing IT managers to open the firewall or install additional software.

The company claims Mobile Gateway, "seamlessly integrates with the corporate IT infrastructure and does not require the enterprise to expose IMAP and SMTP in their Exchange servers or install additional connectors". Such steps are red flags to security conscious tech crews.

Mobile Gateway uses Microsoft's secure Outlook Web Access (OWA) to retrieve email from the corporate Exchange server, delivering emails directly to iPhone's built-in email client.

Mobile Gateway 3.0 also enables synchronization with a wide range of smartphones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and other leading manufacturers.

Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica said: "The iPhone is a very attractive smartphone, appealing to both the consumer and prosumer market. However, IT Managers are not going to permit their executives to synchronize a device that requires them to punch holes in the corporate firewall.

"Mobile Gateway already supports synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, but does not require firewall modification or any software to be installed in the corporate network, so this won't be an issue. From a carrier's perspective, we are significantly expanding the reach of the iPhone into the business user and prosumer segments."