Wireless Email

[#1]

I'm trying to setup my phone to use my employer's Exchange server, but I keep getting the message "The mail server requires security policies that are not supported".  What policies are these, and are they ever going to be supported.  This may be a deal breaker.

Post relates to: Pre p100eww (Sprint)

[#2]

Hi Talonon,

The Exchange server can require certain functions or Policy Requirements on the device before it will let your phone sync with it. This is entirely dependant on your IT department as they determine which policies are required and which are not. Microsoft designed the server sync feature entirely for Windows Mobile, so not all of the  policies may be supported on the Pre. You'll probably want to check with your IT department to see if they can create a seperate policy for your Pre (this is very easy to do, I've done it several times before).

Message Edited by Ridius on 06-06-2009 11:32 AM

[#3]

I'm having the same issues.  If the EAS security settings are truly the issue, I'm hoping I can beg my IT department to loosen the security requirement for me or I'll have to return the phone and go back to my old winblows phone.

It would have been helpful if Palm would have mentioned this as it was touting the Pre's 100% compatability with Outlook and EAS.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. 

Here's a link for more info on the security settings: 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb232020.aspx

Update:

Double grrrrrr...I wish I would have seen this before I stood in line this morning:  (see page 11)

http://www.manu-j.com/downloads/resources/Pre-Launch.pdf

Message Edited by Splattergasted on 06-06-2009 12:01 PM

[#4]

Thanks Ridius, I'll give that a try...  May end up costing me a lunch on top of the price of the Pre!

[#5]

Ridius,

Can you tell us which policies are supported and which are not? This will be helpfull to know before we talk to our IT folks asking them to make a custom policy for the Palm Pre.

Message Edited by ImGreen on 06-08-2009 06:31 AM

[#6]

Guys - just so there isn't any confusion, this isn't a defect of Exchange. Palm can\has licensed the EAS protocol just like Apple, Nokia, etc. and can build in the support for these key functions. Like Apple, they chose to make this a consumer-centric phone and so (for whatever reason) didn't take in to account the need to support the pin\password lock and remote wipe. Hopefully they will have this fixed very soon. I run an enterprise email shop and I can tell you I am not making a separate policy to bypass security so people can have their Pre. Heck, now I cannot even have my Pre.

[#7]

Agreed, ntpro.  The issue is how Palm has implemented certain features of the EAS protocol.  (or not implemented this case).  I did find a pin and/or password lock for the Pre, but not sure if that is tied to the EAS security policies or not.

My IT department is talking to the higher-ups right now to see if it is ok to put in a special policy for my Pre, until Palm has official support for the funtionality. 

[#8]

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Ridius wrote:

The Exchange server can require certain functions or Policy Requirements on the device before it will let your phone sync with it. This is entirely dependant on your IT department as they determine which policies are required and which are not. Microsoft designed the server sync feature entirely for Windows Mobile, so not all of the  policies may be supported on the Pre.

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Ridius,

Can you find out exactly what EAS polcies are and are not supported by the Pre?  Your suggestion to create a separate policy for the Pre is great (for those with IT departments that will create a separate policy), but we need to know exactly what policies are and are not supported by the Pre.

Palm supports all EAS policies in the PalmOS Centro and other devices, so I don't see how Microsoft designing the server sync feature for Windows Mobile has any bearing.

My IT department will not create a separate policy for the Pre, so I will have to return it to the store if Palm does not come up with support for the missing policies in the next 28 days.

Has Palm made any official statement yet?

[#9]

This really sucks!  I spent all day trying to find my Pre and now the exchange sync is giving me the same error.  Since I am the IT  Applications Director I will try and get my Network Admin to create a policy for me.....But it sucks that the iPhone works and the Pre doesn't since I was bragging about the Pre all day!  Especially after the new phones came out.  Now I have to go in tomorrow and get laughed at!

Our Policy states the following.  Device must have at least a simple pin defined(4 digits), device must lock after 10minuites of inactivity, if the incorrect password is entered in 10 times the phone will wipe.

Palm please fix this and Fast! 

[#10]

You can work around some of them:

1. The Pre has its own PIN lock but I dont think it self destructs after X failed attempts.

2. The Pre has a remote wipe feature you can launch from the Sprint website.

3. I dont think it has a way to use a strong alphanumeric password.

4. I do believe you can set the screen to lock after X minutes of inactivity.

These are workarounds, but most enterprise info security teams will not be happy with them as they are manual and end-user dependent. They are not automatic and enforcable by policy.

Palm, as others have stated, please fix this soon. Dont you know by now, and by watching the evolution of the iPhone that even a great device that is consumer-oriented will be coveted by the IT masses as well??

Why doesnt any one company learn from the hard work of another? And why would they throw away millions of potential Pre sales over a very easy to implement part of EAS?