Live From Apple's iPhone Event: Microsoft Exchange Support

I'm at Apple headquarters in Cupertino for the most important iPhone-related event since the release of the iPhone: the official launch of the software development kit that will allow companies other than Apple to develop native iPhone applications. And here's Steve Jobs.

"We're real excited to share some great news with you about the iPhone software roadmap." As is his wont, he's beginning with impressive stats: The iPhone now has 28% smartphone marketshare, second only to RIM's BlackBerry. Applause.

Jobs says the iPhone is bringing the real Internet to phones for the first time. Mobile Safari has 71% usage among mobile browsers, far ahead of Pocket IE and other browsers.

Here's Apple's Phil Schiller. "I'm really excited to be the one talking to you about iPhone in the enterprise." Many customers have told Apple they want to use iPhones, such as Genentech. "They have thousands of iPhones deployed across multiple organizations." Quote from Genentech CTO expressing enthusiasm for the iPhone.

Universities like iPhones, too--such as Stanford. Photo of Stanford campus. They're using hundreds of iPhones there. Quote from Stanford CIO.

Schiller praises the iPhone and its user interface. "It's an incredible device for enterprises." But some things have held it back, and Apple has been listening and thinking.

Enterprises want great push e-mail--"huge request." And push calendar information. And push contacts. And a global address list. And Cisco IPsec VPN, and a variety of security-related options. And automated configration options, and remote data wiping just in case the phone is lost or stolen.

"I'm really excited to be the one telling you today we're doing all these things in the next release of the iPhone software." Applause.

Back to push. Customers have asked for built-in Microsoft Exchange information. Apple has licensed the ActiveSync technology needed from Microsoft to support Exchange.

Schiller explains how old-school push is complicated and unreliable, then says that ActiveSync is modern, simple, and reliable. iPhone apps like its e-mail and calendar will support it.

He walks over to a podium to demo all this. His phone has no contacts, no events, and no e-mail. But the screen for adding e-mail has a new option: Exhchange. He's skipping that, but is turning on an Exchange account he had pre-configured. He wants to use ActiveSync for contacts, calendars, and e-mail. He turns them on. "And that's it."

His contacts show up, as do his appointments and his e-mail. Apple's Bob Borchers is in the audience on Wi-Fi helping Schiller with a demo. Schiller creates a new contact, and Borcher confirms that it was instantly synched via Exchange and has shown up on his device.

Next, Schiller goes to mail. Borchers sends him an e-mail. And there it is on Schiller's phone. Applause. "This is exactly what enterprise customers have asked for."

Schiller's looking at his calendar. He asks Borchers to move a meeting up, and the schedule change shows up on Schiller's iPhone. "All that is happening live."

Schiller says the last part of the demo is the most fun. He's saying that maybe he's lost his iPhone. He asks Borcher to wipe the phone remotely. He does, and Schiller's phone loses all his data. Applause.

We see quotes from Nike and Disney expressing enthusiasm for the new stuff: "As you may know, we have an executive relationship with Disney." Schiller says people will be blown away: "The iPhone is the best mobile device ever in the enterprise."

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