Introduction - Mobility Solutions Description

Introduction
Microsoft® Online
Services offers flexible, Internet-based e-mail, Web conferencing, instant messaging, document collaboration, and workflow services. Available as separate services or in a coordinated suite, these services are designed for rapid service adoption by an organization and carry a service level agreement that guarantees 99.9-percent uptime.
Microsoft Online Services users can access these business-class services from a computer Web browser and from a variety of mobile phones and devices. This document focuses specifically on the mobility solutions—access to services from phones and devices—that are available for two online services from Microsoft: Microsoft Exchange Online Standard and Microsoft SharePoint® Online Standard.
About Microsoft Exchange Online
Exchange Online is a hosted enterprise messaging solution based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The Exchange Online service includes advanced e-mail features as well as calendaring, contact, and task management capabilities. Exchange Online also provides built-in spam control and virus scanning to reduce common security risks that are associated with e-mail files.
Exchange Online includes a standardized Web-based administrative console that makes it easy to manage and set up services for users.
Exchange Online includes support for mobile devices—in particular, devices that use the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync® technology. Exchange ActiveSync provides synchronization of mailbox data (e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks) between Exchange Online and mobile devices.
About Microsoft SharePoint Online
SharePoint Online is a collection of Web-based tools and technologies that help your organization store, share, and manage digital information within your company. Built on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, this hosted service is ideal for storing project documents in a central location and sharing them with others. By using SharePoint lists, libraries, and Web Parts, team members can work more efficiently and productively.
Key SharePoint Online features include:
Shared document and meeting workspaces.
Content management features for documents and Web content.
Document libraries with version control.
Seamless integration with Microsoft Office 2007 and Office SharePoint Designer.
Standard templates including wikis, blogs, and surveys.
E-mail alerts when documents or other items have been changed or added to a site.
RSS feeds for SharePoint libraries and lists.
SharePoint Online sites can render on many devices (including Web-enabled mobile phones) using a simplified text-only format.
Like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online includes a standardized Web-based administrative console that enables your IT administrator to easily manage and set up services for users.
Feature Summary
Three types of mobile devices are supported by Exchange Online Standard and SharePoint Online Standard:
Windows® phones running Windows Mobile® 6
Exchange ActiveSync devices
BlackBerry® smartphones
Table 1 summarizes the features available for each type of device. For all solution options, it is the customer’s responsibility to procure, deploy, manage, and support mobile client software and compatible devices, and manage relationships with wireless carriers. Microsoft Online Services does not provide end-user device support.
Table 1. Feature Summary for Mobile Device Solutions
Device Type
|
Exchange Online
|
SharePoint Online
|
Licensing Details
|
Windows phone
|
Push e-mail, calendar, contacts with global address list (GAL) integration, tasks
Password reset and device wipe
See Windows phones for complete details.
|
Access SharePoint Online sites securely
View and interact with SharePoint Online content
Requires third-party browser that supports Live ID sign-in
| |
Exchange ActiveSync phones
|
Push e-mail, calendar, contacts with GAL integration, tasks
Password reset and device wipe
See Exchange ActiveSync-Enabled devices for complete details.
|
Access SharePoint Online sites securely
View and act on SharePoint Online content
Consult individual device description for browser capabilities
|
Available at no additional fee
Not available with Deskless Worker license
|
BlackBerry® smartphones
|
Push e-mail, calendar, contacts with global address list (GAL) integration, tasks
Password reset and device wipe
See BlackBerry® smartphones for complete details.
|
Access SharePoint Online sites securely
View and interact with SharePoint Online content
Access via BlackBerry browser
|
Two solution options:
Hosted BlackBerry® for Microsoft Exchange Online
BlackBerry® Internet Service (BIS)
Not available with Deskless Worker license
Require additional services fees (except BIS)
|
Windows Phones
Windows phones and devices help deliver highly advanced mobile capabilities while maximizing technology investments and improving both mobile worker and IT productivity. Built on the powerful Windows Mobile operating system and produced by top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world, Windows phones provide a rich, flexible, cost-effective platform for increased productivity and improved mobile solutions.
To use Exchange Online and SharePoint Online with a Windows phone, the phone must have Windows Mobile 6.0, Windows Mobile 6.1, or Windows Mobile 6.5 installed.
About Windows Mobile 6.5
Windows Mobile 6.5—the latest version of Windows phone software—includes a new touch-screen gesture interface, Today and Lock screen improvements, customized designer themes, e-mail conversation view, reply/forward indication, and nickname cache to speed up addressing e-mails. Unified messaging enhancements allow you to listen to your Exchange-delivered voice mail.
Your Internet experience is greatly enhanced with Windows Mobile 6.5 through the new Internet Explorer Mobile 6 browser. Searching the Web is simpler and quicker through direct address bar entry and auto-complete of words or even whole sites. A mobile or desktop view can be selected depending on your immediate viewing needs, and includes zoom, scroll, and pan. New MSN® Widgets provide real-time information about news and stocks, while Newsbreak Lite provides an RSS reader to stay up to date on your favorite sites.
With the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, you can expand your phone’s horizons by finding and downloading the newest applications. Use the new My Phone service to sync your personal data to the Web so it is backed up and accessible online. The Facebook Mobile and My Space Mobile apps let you manage your social network accounts and add content while you’re on the go. Access multimedia Web sites as they were meant to be, using the improved Windows Media® Player Mobile and Adobe Flash Lite plug-in.
Windows phones and Microsoft Online Services give your business "anywhere access" to the powerful productivity capabilities of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, the messaging system that drives Exchange Online. You can provide your employees with mobile access to push e-mail, calendars, tasks, and contacts—all while helping to protect against malware and spam. A powerful yet simple remote Web-based console helps you securely administer Exchange Online to deliver simplified, seamless access to communications to and from Windows phones.
Windows Mobile 6.0, Windows Mobile 6.1, and Windows Mobile 6.5 have built-in compatibility with Exchange ActiveSync. With this data synchronization program, Exchange Online users can take advantage of these Windows phone features:
Direct Push: Microsoft Office Outlook® e-mail, calendar, tasks, and contacts are synchronized without delay to mobile devices via Exchange Online.
Remote device wipe: If a mobile device is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised, users can log on to their mailboxes through Outlook Web Access (OWA) and remotely erase all personal data from the device, resetting the device to factory default settings.
With a Windows phone, you get the data access, productivity tools, and messaging flexibility you rely on.
A broad list of Windows phone messaging and security features are described in Table 2 and Table 3.
Table 2. Messaging Features of the Windows Phone*
Feature
|
Description
|
Attachments
|
View large attached files and images.
|
Follow-up flags
|
Users can flag messages for later follow-up directly from the mobile device. After a message is flagged, it also shows as flagged in Office Outlook on the desktop.
|
E-mail conversation threads
|
Gather multiple e-mails into a single threaded view for easier reading.
|
Reply/forward indication
|
Icons identify which e-mails have been forwarded and replied to.
|
Text messages
|
Users can send text messages by using short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS).
|
Threaded text messages
|
Messages are threaded together into single conversation, similar to instant messaging.
|
Microsoft Office files
|
Users can view, edit, or access Microsoft Office files and use links to documents that are stored on a server or attached to an e-mail message.
|
Over-the-air server search
|
Users can search for information by querying the local device and the user’s entire mailbox on the server that is running Exchange Online.
|
Pictures and videos
|
User can share pictures and videos immediately after taking the picture or shooting the video.
|
HTML mail support
|
Users can read HTML e-mail without fidelity loss and in legible font sizes.
|
*
The user subscription license for Exchange Online Standard includes access to Exchange Online data with an Exchange ActiveSync device at no additional charge. Access is not available for users subscribed under the Deskless Worker license.
Table 3. Security Features of the Windows Phone
Feature
|
Description
|
User-enforced device lock
|
Users have the option of setting up PIN locks for their devices.
|
Administrator device wipe
|
Over-the-air wireless IT policies and commands to lock down a device or wipe data from a lost or stolen device help users protect sensitive information. For Exchange Online or SharePoint Online, administrators can perform device wipe via a call to the support desk.
|
Self-service device wipe
|
Over-the-air wireless IT policies and commands to lock down a device or wipe data from a lost or stolen devices help users protect sensitive information. For Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, users can enable device wipe via Outlook Web Access (OWA).
|
Encryption services
|
Users can encrypt data stored on external storage cards.
|
Administrator PIN recovery
|
Administrators can reset the PIN via call to the support desk.
|
Self-service PIN recovery
|
User can reset their PIN via Outlook Web Access.
|
Data transfer security
|
Security can be used to transfer data from the phone to Exchange Server and from Exchange Server to the phone. For a Windows phone, the standard protocol is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
|
Collaboration Capabilities
Using SharePoint Online, mobile employees can efficiently collaborate with team members via on-the-go access to organizational resources. Employees
can search an intranet site, manage content and workflow, and capitalize on business insight to make better-informed decisions.
At this time, Windows phones and devices require a third-party browser (such as Opera) to access SharePoint Online Standard. Without a browser, you can directly access documents from a SharePoint Server site on your mobile device via a SharePoint link embedded in Exchange Online e-mail messages. For more information, see your Microsoft Online Services representative or partner.
Learn More
Learn how Windows phones plus Microsoft Online Services are better together at
www.microsoft.com/online.
Learn more about Windows phones and devices at www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile.
Exchange ActiveSync-Enabled Devices
Exchange ActiveSync provides synchronization of mailbox data between Exchange Online and mobile devices. With mobile devices that are enabled for Exchange ActiveSync, users can access their e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks anytime and anywhere. To enhance security, authentication from mobile devices to Exchange Online is conducted over an SSL connection using a password and user name.
Exchange ActiveSync technology has been licensed by many device manufacturers. Microsoft Online Services has tested the following leading Exchange ActiveSync devices and found them compatible with Exchange Online and SharePoint Online for basic access.
Nokia E series and N series phones: Nokia Mail for Exchange must be installed.
Apple iPhone: iPhone OS v2 ,v3 or V4 and Safari Mobile browser are required.
Palm Pre phone: webOS v1.1, v1.2, v1.3 or v1.4 is required.
HTC Hero phone: Android v1.5 is required
Google Nexus One phone: Android v2 is required (supports email and contacts only)
Other Exchange ActiveSync devices may be also compatible with Exchange Online, but will require testing by the customer or device manufacturer. Other Exchange ActiveSync-enabled devices may also include browsers which can access SharePoint Online sites, but customer or device manufacturer testing will be required for these as well.
For more information about the capabilities of your Exchange ActiveSync device, see the product information provided by the device manufacturer.
BlackBerry® Smartphones
Microsoft Online Services provides two paths for Research in Motion BlackBerry® smartphone users to access Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.
Hosted BlackBerry for Microsoft Exchange Online
BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS)
The following sections detail these offerings for Exchange Online. For SharePoint Online, BlackBerry users can simply use the native browser on their BlackBerry smartphone to access SharePoint Online sites.
Hosted BlackBerry for Microsoft Exchange Online
For
Exchange Online and
Business Productivity Online Standard Suite customers needing support for a range of BlackBerry Enterprise Server capabilities, Microsoft provides a Hosted BlackBerry service. With advanced security features, wireless access to people and information on the go, and the outstanding wireless performance that has made the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution respected worldwide, Hosted BlackBerry service is designed to give you confidence in your wireless solution – without having to manage the wireless requirements yourself.
As a BlackBerry certified partner and Elite Alliance Member, Microsoft Online Services is able to offer the Hosted BlackBerry service directly to our Online customers so you can fully focus on growing your business and not your IT environment, including the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution.
Microsoft provides the following hosting and operational support within the Microsoft Online Services data centers:
Host and operate BlackBerry Enterprise Server
Provide all BlackBerry Enterprise Server server, client licenses and support services Included in the service (There is no need for customers to provide licenses or service agreements.)
Provide technical support to the customer’s IT administrators
Service Features
The Hosted BlackBerry service features encompass the most commonly requested BlackBerry capabilities for Microsoft Online Services customers and are detailed in Table 4.
Table 4. Hosted BlackBerry Features
Feature
|
Description
|
E-mail and personal information management (PIM)
|
Push e-mail
Calendar
Contacts with GAL integration that supports lookup across multiple domains for users in a single Microsoft Online account
Tasks and Notes
|
Device and user management
|
Remote device wipe
Password reset*
Add/delete/manage users
Set security policy
|
BlackBerry smartphone support
|
BlackBerry operating system version 4.2, 4.3** 4.5, or 5.0
Future BlackBerry operating system versions are supported shortly after release by major carriers
|
BlackBerry Enterprise Server support
|
BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.14
All BlackBerry Enterprise Server upgrades are done at Microsoft discretion and are standardized across customers
|
* Device password reset is currently implemented through Technical Support.
** Users of device version 4.3 are encouraged to upgrade their system software due to limitations that could affect future Hosted BlackBerry service upgrades.
Service Capabilities
As with other Microsoft Online Services, Hosted BlackBerry service is a standardized service and is not customized per customer. All service policies and settings are as listed in the Policy Reference Guide at
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/admin/deliverables/7228/Policy_Reference_Guide.pdf with the exception of the choice of password and no-password policies. Settings for these policies are detailed in Table 5.
Table 5. Hosted BlackBerry Default Security Policies
Default Policy
|
Policy Settings
|
Default No-Password-required policy
|
Device-Only Items: Password Required = False
|
Global Items: Allow Browser = False
|
PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable PIN Messages Wireless Sync = True
|
PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable SMS Messages Wireless Sync = True
|
PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable Phone Call Log Wireless Sync = True
|
MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable MDS Runtime = True
|
MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable Activation With Public BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True
|
MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable User-Initiated Activation with the BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True
|
Default Password-required policy
|
Device-Only Items: Password Required = True
|
Device-Only Items: User Can Disable Password = False
|
Device Only Items: Maximum Password Age = 0
|
Device Only Items: Minimum Password Length = 4
|
Global Items: Allow Browser = False
|
Password Policy Group: Set Password Timeout = 15
|
Password Policy Group: Set Maximum Password Attempts = 5
|
PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable PIN Messages Wireless Sync = True
|
PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable SMS Messages Wireless Sync = True
|
PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable Phone Call Log Wireless Sync = True
|
MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable MDS Runtime = True
|
MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable Activation With Public BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True
|
MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable User-Initiated Activation with the BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True
|
Exceptions to these policies can be requested through a Technical Support Escalation. Policy escalations are reviewed by development and operations personnel to ensure compliance with Microsoft Online Services capabilities. See
http://www.microsoft.com/online/support.mspx for contact information.
Service Pricing and Conditions
Hosted BlackBerry for Microsoft Exchange Online is purchased as an add-on to Exchange Online Standard or the Business Productivity Online Suite Standard from the Microsoft Online Services
Customer Portal. Pricing is U.S.$10.00 per user per month with no minimum number of users required. Hosted BlackBerry service can only be added to paid subscriptions, not to trials. Service can be cancelled within 30 days for no charge.
Further information on the purchase and migration process for the Hosted BlackBerry service can be found in the link Hosted BlackBerry Service Migration Guide.
Hosted BlackBerry service is available for purchase in the following countries:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, UK, US
Users from the following countries can be added to a customer account purchased in one of the countries above:
Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Egypt, Iceland, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Oman, Qatar, Saudia Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, Venezuela
BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS)
BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is a subscription service available through mobile operators around the globe. BIS enables push e-mail to your BlackBerry device at no additional cost. Other Exchange Online information—such as contacts and calendar data—is updated through a wired connection. To set up BIS to use with Exchange Online, your mobile operator will request your Outlook Web Access (OWA) address, which is determined by the storage location of your Microsoft Online Services data. The storage location is generally the one closest to your company headquarters. Table 5 provides URLs for storage locations.
Table 5. Exchange Online Addresses for BIS Setup
Location
|
Address
|
Asia Pacific (APAC)
|
https://mail.apac.microsoftonline.com
|
Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
|
https://mail.emea.microsoftonline.com
|
North America
|
https://mail.microsoftonline.com
|
For information about BIS capabilities and fees, see your mobile operator.
More Information
The following resources will help you learn more about Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and other Microsoft Online Services:
Microsoft Online Services Portal
Learn more about Online Services from Microsoft, sign up for free trials, and purchase services.
Microsoft Online Services TechCenter
At this Microsoft TechNet site you will find detailed information about Microsoft Online Services and step-by-step instructions about how to set up and configure service features.
Microsoft Online Services Blog
Read the latest posts from service team members and stay up to date on new developments.
Security Features in Microsoft Online
In this white paper, learn how Microsoft concern for security, as defined in the Trustworthy Computing Initiative, has driven key features in the design, deployment, and operation of the Microsoft Online Services environment.
Solutions Accelerators for Microsoft Online Services
Solution Accelerators automate discovery and assess requirements for migration to Microsoft Online Services, and provide you with the prescriptive guidance and operations framework to speed up the onboarding and migration process.