back to article Exchange down for Android and iOS users

Microsoft Exchange mobile users on Android and iOS users have been unable to access the service on their mobile devices due to a planned shift away from its Exchange Active Sync (EAS) protocol. The issue first appeared yesterday and is still affecting users. One customer got in touch to say: "Exchange Mobile device access …

  1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    One could say...

    That this is all part of the cunning (or not so cunning) plan to get a boost in the market share for Windows Phones.

    But I won't.

    It is just a normal day when a critical service goes TITSUP.

  2. wolfetone Silver badge

    I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this story as an Office 365 user.

    I could laugh that those on Android or iOS are having these problems, while I have no such issues on my BlackBerry Z10.

    I could cry though as these Android and iOS devices have killed off BlackBerry.

  3. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      > My reaction too for the Office 365 service provided by Namesco for Demon subdomains emails.

      Because you did it wrong, sorry.

      I had two separate subdomains to set up - the first, mine, went OK as I followed the instructions but I swore a lot because it was an indirected indirection web UI front for another web UI and I hate the new look for email on office 365 because MS can't make up their minds what to show me but now thankfully I am getting the proper old-style OWA webmail UI without the stupid multiple side window "friendly" crap.

      The second setup went slightly awry because the "select primary email" does different things depending on where you do it. More swearing but completed correctly.

      TLDR Nothing wrong with the instructions, I just hate the way MS buggered about with known interfaces to "improve" things.

      1. Oengus

        I just hate the way MS buggered about with known interfaces to "improve" things.

        Not just M$. That seems to be the way of today - change the interface to be uglier than sin and less productive all in the name of "Improvement".

  4. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Third parties had to license the XML-based EAS while REST is free.

    Someone is mixing up things here.

    1) REST may or may not include XML payloads.

    2) The protocol of EAS used to vehiculate said XML is left unstated

    1. Alister

      The protocol of EAS used to vehiculate said XML is left unstated

      Vehiculate?

      Really!!?

  5. GreggS

    Outlook for iOS

    I've had no issues with Outlook or the native Mail app on my iPhone connected to my work O365 server.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well, that's another way to fix it..

    Maybe it's really in response to an earlier reported problem that they cannot fix.

    Question: is this why ActiveSync links for mobile devices that use Exchange calendaring always cost extra? Does this mean we are finally moving to a complete open standard where we can actually see what goes on inside? If so, hurray.

  7. jaywin

    It's "Office 365"...

    ...and there's 366 days this year.

  8. sqlrob
    Holmes

    " Third parties had to license the XML-based EAS while REST is free."

    Isn't the licensor Microsoft? Couldn't they just say "hey, it's free now"? Feels like there's something else going on.

  9. Preston Munchensonton
    FAIL

    Carefully reread the statement

    Microsoft Exchange mobile users on Android and iOS users have been unable to access emails on their phones due to a planned shift away from its Exchange Active Sync (EAS) protocol.

    Perhaps this is true for those with MS-hosted Exchange or Office 365? My own EAS access is working just fine to my company's private MS Exchange clusters. The article is really badly vague on who is actually affected.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    developers can now sidestep Exchange

    What do you mean "now". I've successfully been side-stepping exchange my IT career by employing open standards based protocols and infrastructure instead. Easy.

    My business' email is working perfectly on all operating systems and devices*.

    * Well except Outlook. Outlook doesn't do IMAP properly but I don't care about that.

  11. Joe Montana

    Open protocols?

    The activesync protocol was created by microsoft and its they that demand a license fee for its use, if they were truly concerned about open access they could open up their existing protocol.

    Similarly they could support existing open protocols for the various types of data (caldav, carddav, imap etc) instead of creating their own new protocols that do the same thing. By doing the latter they can create an impression of openness, while actually ensuring that competing clients will take time to catch up.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Open protocols?

      they can create an impression of openness

      LOLNO.

      The only thing open in Microsoft is the money vacuuming device.

    2. katrinab Silver badge

      Re: Open protocols?

      The other protocols you mention require a lot more data between the phone and the server to keep the phone up to date. Exchange Activesync can update the phone with changes or new emails with just one polling request evey 30 minutes at times when nothing happens on the server.

  12. razorfishsl

    you guys don't know half of it........

    over in Asia we had 2 "good" days in the month when MS 365 was not impacted........

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