MobileMe compared to Hosted Exchange… by a Hosted Exchange provider.
Last week saw the introduction of 4iPhone.net, an third-party Exchange solution for iPhone owners once the handset’s 2.0 firmware arrives. The service is actually an extension of 4Smartphone.net, the solution I used for years until I migrated to Gmail IMAP. Some folks are wondering what, if any, differences there are between Apple’s MobileMe service and a hosted Exchange service. Today I see that 4iPhone.net outlined most of them and although the company stands to benefit from people using their service over MobileMe, the article they put together is accurate. The long and short of it is that most consumers will find either service to be useful. Exchange gives you some additional functions like custom domain support, shared contacts / calendars, and the ability to use nearly any smartphone, not just the iPhone.
If you’re interested in the differences and want a better understanding of hosted Exchange, this is a good place to start as is our Hosted Exchange 101 article. The long and short of it in my opinion? MobileMe is geared for consumer usage while hosted Exchange appeals more to power-users & small businesses. As we often say however, you need to evaluate your needs and then choose the solution that fits best.
There’s also that tiny worry that using Exchange on the iPhone will require the Enterprise Data Plan which is $45, versus the standard $30 for 3G or $20 for 2G iPhones. Of course, the argument is how they are going to enforce it, but I doubt Apple or AT&T would adamantly restrict the ability to connect to an Exchange server.
True, but I don’t think it will be an issue for most folks. My gut tells me that if you purchase the iPhone 3G under a consumer account, you’ll be offered the standard $30 data plan. Business purchases will flag the enterprise plan for data.