ActiveSync Android

ActiveSync Android is a resource setup to document the use of the ActiveSync protocol on Android mobile devices. The following background may be useful.

Desktop ActiveSync

In 1996 Microsoft developed a protocol for sychronising mobile data. They called this technology ActiveSync. Strictly speaking ActiveSync is a desktop PC client used to synchronise PIM (Personal Information Management) data such as email, contacts and calendars with PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant, remember them?) and handheld PCs. How very retro! And limited! Over time however, ActiveSync was developed and enhanced and became somewhat useful. Eventually ActiveSync was replaced by Windows Mobile Device Center in Windows Vista.

Exchange ActiveSync

But to most people, ActiveSync means Exchange ActiveSync, the protocol used for push email and synchronising PIM data. Microsoft call the ActiveSync push email feature Direct Push. What makes Exchange ActiveSync push email so great is that it does away with the time delay in receiving messages that you get with old fashioned polling a mail server at set intervals. Across the rest of the site, when you see ActiveSync, it means Exchange ActiveSync.

Exchange ActiveSync is an XML based protocol that has gone through various iterations, the first being released in 2002. Exchange ActiveSync is much more powerful and much more useful than the desktop PC application, as it allows modern devices, such as Android smartphones to synchronise with cloud services, provided either by businesses or for personal use. Since release, it has gained a lot excellent features and support for Exchange ActiveSync is mandatory for any mobile device that wants to be a success.

Microsoft have licenced the Exchange ActiveSync protocol to a number of companies including Google, Apple and Nokia. This means you can use ActiveSync on Android, ActiveSync on iPhone and ActiveSync on Symbian. I’ll be concentrating on the use of ActiveSync Android in follow up articles, showing how you can use this protocol to sync your data so that you never lose it and how to boost your productivity. I’ll also talk about some of the administration features that Exchange ActiveSync offers, such as policies and remote wiping.