The ability to synchronize smart devices that run Windows Mobile Edition with your Exchange server is one of the best technologies to come around in a while. The synchronization process allows you to send and receive email from your smart-device in real time without having to rely on third party tools to sync up remote devices. Since this technology (called ActiveSync) fully integrates with Exchange you have a complete record of all emails in Outlook. Let’s say you were on the road and responded to an email message. When you arrived back at the office this email is in your ‘sent’ folder just as if you had sent it from your desk. Unfortunately, most Exchange Server users do not even know they have this ability.
ActiveSync first arrived in Exchange Server 2003 and supports synchronization with any device running Windows Mobile 5.0, 2002 or 2003. A complete listing of compatible devices can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile. This online tool will also allow you to search for compatible devices by carrier so you can select an appropriate device that is supported by your current cell phone provider.
Once businesses see the benefits of anywhere / anytime access to their Exchange email they are anxious to roll this technology out to all of their users to improve their users productivity.
A word of caution—if you are deploying ActiveSync you MUST prepare for the eventual loss or theft of a phone. Obviously, since the phone is connected, whoever has the device also has access to that users email box—nothing more embarrassing than having some random character who finds a lost cell phone accessing your company email and replying to customers!!!
Fortunately, there is a quick and each solution to this dilemma—the Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administrator Tool solved this issue. The Web Administrators Tool can be downloaded at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e6851d23-d145-4dbf-a2cc-e0b4c6301453.
To install the ActiveSync Web Admin tool;
- Download the Mobile Admin pack to your exchange server from the URL above.
- Backup your IIS metadata (from Computer Manager select Services and Applications, right-click Internet Information Service and select All Tasks | Backup/Restore Configuration then Create Backup).
- Set the default website to listen on all IPs (from Computer Manager select Services and Applications | Internet Information Service | Web Sites and right-click Default Web Site. On the Web Site tab note the setting in the IP Address dropdown then select ‘All Unassigned’ if it is not already selected.
- Run the MobileAdmin.exe file that your downloaded in step 1.
- Reverse any changes made in step 3, ex: put it all back the way it was if you made any changes—you did note the original setting, right??
- From IIS Admin open the properties for the newly created ExAdmin virtual directory under the default web site and select Directory Security | Secure Communications and uncheck ‘Require SSL’
- Restart the IIS Admin service.
Once the IIS Admin Service has been restarted your Mobile Admin console can be accessed from the server or any workstation at http://%servername%/mobileadmin.
Once you have access the MobileAdmin console you can;
- View a list of all devices that are being used by any user.
- Select/De-select devices to bb remotely erased.
- View the status of pending remote erase requests for each device.
- View a transaction log of erase requests.
The most powerful feature of this tool is to completely wipe all synchronized information from the device remotely. In the case of a lost or stolen cell phone you can quickly and securely erase all synchronization information and data so no important company data is accessible.
Another neat feature of this tool is the ability to reset the device partnership. This is particularly useful if you have a phone ‘wig out’ and stop syncing for some reason. If this happens, just reset the partnership using the ActiveSync web admin tool and then force the device to re-sync using the ActiveSync application on the cell phone.
Having anytime/anywhere access to your companies email data is a super way to stay in-touch and highly productive. But it is important when using this technology to ensure you have addressed the security issues using the ActiveSync Web Admin tool prior to company-wide rollout of ActiveSync.
