Exchange Web Services

MailEnable Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) - for EAS enabled devices (including iPhone, Windows Phone 7, Android, Nokia, etc).
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mailenablebox
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Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:13 pm

Exchange Web Services

Post by mailenablebox »

Does Mailenable support Exchange Web Services or have plans to support it?

MailEnable
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Re: Exchange Web Services

Post by MailEnable »

We have a project underway to provide EWS, although we mentioned earlier in the year that EWS would not be available in Version 7.
Also, more recently it seems that MS has been promoting EAS as a desktop/device integration over EWS. (example, Outlook 2013 providing EAS).
Currently, MAPI is the preferred mechanism for rich outlook connectivity (it works with 2013 as does EAS). For Apple users, CardDAV and CalDAV provide the best interoperability.
Regards, Andrew

mailenablebox
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:13 pm

Re: Exchange Web Services

Post by mailenablebox »

Would that EWS integration allow to synchronize email, calendar, and contact data for a per server fee (instead of per user fee) not requiring EAS licensing?

Other competitors already do this, for $150 per server, like MD or SM.

MailEnable
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Re: Exchange Web Services

Post by MailEnable »

With respect to desktop clients, EWS currently provides connectivity to Mac Desktop (MacMail).

Outlook 2013 (when its released) will provide EWS connectivity (as well was EAS).

So, to answer your question, yes - EWS is potentially a cheaper solution for Outlook 2013 desktop and Mac (assuming there are not any any per seat licensing constraints associated with providing the connectivity).

The future of EWS appears to be a point of discussion (on many forums) - apparently because largely because of tablets/mobile and the fact that EAS is more suitable to these devices.
In time, I would not be at all suprised if Macs also went in the direction of EAS - (in line with their mobile devices).
Regards, Andrew

mailenablebox
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Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:13 pm

Re: Exchange Web Services

Post by mailenablebox »

I just read somewhere Outlook 2013 is ditching EWS in favor of EAS for Outlook 2013, is this right?

MailEnable
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Re: Exchange Web Services

Post by MailEnable »

I just read somewhere Outlook 2013 is ditching EWS in favor of EAS for Outlook 2013, is this right?
There is alot of "hear-say" and "bad guessing" that has gone on here - I'll now try my hand at it! lol.

In its current form, EAS cannot replace EWS or MAPI. To suggest anything else would be like telling a family of 5 to sell their RV and buy a Motorbike!

Firstly, MANY suggest that MAPI is dead in Outlook 2013 - that is just plain wrong.
The communication protocols between Outlook and Exchange may change, but Outlook itself is still very much founded on the MAPI architecture/store/providers.
To emphasis this, MailEnable did not need to make changes to its Connector (which utilizes Outlook's Core MAPI interfaces) to work with 2013).
When people refer to MAPI not being available, what they would be more accurate in saying the Exchange Transport (or perhaps CDOEX) - Not MAPI itself. I guess that does not sell newspapers though!

With respect to EAS and Outlook... EAS does not yet provide all the capabilities that are needed by a rich mail client (like Outlook).
Furthermore, its support (at least in the Preview of 2013) is limited and you can't do things like drag and drop messages into folders, etc and no sharing.
Also EAS itself does not currently provide the ability to collaborate/open another users mailbox/free and busy times lookups etc. (perhaps later versions will - it would seem to make sense)
MailEnable's EAS implementation works with Outlook 2013 (at least the preview) - but the limitations of drag and drop etc are not (yet) supported by Outlook.

With respect to Exchange Web Services, I would suggest that perhaps Exchange ActiveSync was deemed more suitable to Windows 8 / Mobile - and EAS is being "promoted" over EWS - but, at least in the preview of 2013, it appeared to be there as a mechanism for connecting to Exchange. Given that EAS (as wonderful as it is for synchronising and mobile) does not provide all the features of EWS, its hard to see it as a replacement until EAS is extended to provide those features (EAS protocol is extensible enough to allow this, so its just a matter of time). Everything I have read indicates that EWS is very much part of Outlook 2013 and Exchange 2013 - I have not seen anything from Microsoft themselves that indicates a lack of support for it. In fact platform preview material for Exchange 2013 suggests they are extending EWS interfaces.
Regards, Andrew

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