Exchange ActiveSync is the primary protocol that allows mobile devices to synchronize data with grommunio. The protocol has been around for several years and has gone through multiple iterations. The latest versions, Exchange ActiveSync 16.0 and 16.1, offer numerous new features and benefits compared to previous versions.
grommunio Sync provides native groupware (emails, contacts, calendar, tasks and notes) connectivity for mobile devices, such as phones and tablets and now delivers protocol compatibility to Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) versions 2.5, 12.0, 12.1, 14.0, 14.1, 16.0 and 16.1.
grommunio has now fully integrated EAS 16.0 and 16.1 in grommunio Sync (see full details on grommunio Sync’s GitHub repository) with further integration enhancements in grommunio Admin and grommunio Mobile Device Management.
A brief summary of the benefits:
Exchange ActiveSync 16.0
- Better Security
One of the key features is the ability to enforce mobile device encryption. This means that data on the device is encrypted, making it more difficult for hackers to steal sensitive information. - Improved Remote Wipe
grommunio Sync, grommunio Admin and grommunio MDM now supports profile-only remote wipe capabilities, which allows administrators not only to wipe an entire device remotely if it is lost or stolen, but instead, allows full leverage of BYOD (Bring your own device) scenarios to allow organizations to remove just corporate sync profiles instead of the entire device. - Improved Performance
EAS 16.0 fully supports HTTP/2, which enables faster and more efficient communication between the server and the device. Additionally, the protocol now supports server-side search, allowing users to search their entire mailbox from their mobile device, rather than having to search individual folders. - Enhanced Calendar Functionality
Additionally, the protocol now supports meeting forward notifications, which makes it possible for users to forward a meeting invitation to another user.
Exchange ActiveSync 16.1
- Improved User Experience
The protocol now supports push notifications for email subfolders, which means that users can receive notifications for new emails in specific subfolders, rather than just the inbox. Additionally, the protocol supports read and delivery receipts for emails, that enables users to know when an email has been read or delivered. - Better Control and Customization
EAS 16.1 offers better control and customization options for administrators with more granular control over email, calendar, and contact synchronization settings, so administrators can specify which data is synchronized to the device, is also supported with the new protocol. Also, it now supports more detailed device information, enabling administrators to identify and manage devices more effectively. - Improved Performance
The performance has been improved compared to previous versions and now supports server-side sorting and filtering, allowing users to sort and filter their mailbox on the server, rather than on the device. This results in faster and more efficient mailbox access. Additionally, the protocol now supports server-side conversation view, which permits users to view email conversations on the server, rather than on the device. - Improved Contact Management
With the improved contact management features now supporting GAL (Global Address List) lookups users can search for and select contacts from the company directory. Plus, the protocol supports contact linking, which allows users to link contacts together to create a unified view of their contacts.
Updated versions of grommunio Sync, grommunio Admin and grommunio MDM are available in the community and supported repositories. Except from installation no further interaction is required on the server side. Existing customers automatically benefit from the availability of the update.
Apple’s iOS devices automatically discover the availability of 16.1 and upgrade the existing profile automatically. Depending on any other device or platform, some automatically detect the availability and upgrade, for some (specifically older devices) it might be require to resync the mobile device, either through grommunio MDM or grommunio Admin. grommunio Admin and grommunio-sync-top have been extended so Administrators can see which device uses which protocol version (EAS column).
In conclusion, Exchange ActiveSync 16.0 and 16.1 offer several new features and benefits compared to previous versions. These include better security, improved user experience, better control and customization options for administrators, improved performance, enhanced calendar functionality, and improved contact management features.
The implementation of grommunio Sync fully validates with Microsoft’s OfficeDev Interop-TestSuite.
grommunio would like to thank Microsoft for the cooperation and confirmation that grommunio Sync has developed to the leading open-source EAS server-side implementation in the world.
Last but not least, grommunio is grateful for the validation and feedback from technology and hosting partners in the last year.
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