Apptix (News - Alert), a provider of hosted e-mail, voice, and collaboration services for small and medium businesses (SMBs), today announced the availability of hosted Microsoft Exchange 2007 services for the Apple (News - Alert) iPhone 3G via ActiveSync.

 

With the help of this new mobile email service, iPhone (News - Alert) users can take advantage of the Apptix hosted Microsoft Exchange email and collaboration services, “elevating the iPhone to a true business communications tool,” according to Apptix officials.

 

In support Apple announcement of the availability of ActiveSync on the iPhone, Apptix has also introduced its new hosted Exchange service, a fully-hosted offering that company operates for businesses on a monthly subscription basis.

 

Officials said that ActiveSync enables Exchange users to gain instant, mobile access to their email, calendars, and contacts through a 128-bit encrypted SSL connection, enabling iPhone users to compose, send, receive, and reply to email from any location and have all of their messages delivered instantly.

 

Moreover, through mobile data networks, outlook calendars, contacts, and email are now updated completely “over the air” (OTA).

 

Officials said that the hosted MS Exchange and iPhone ActiveSync service is suited for those iPhone users who would like to have full use of the Microsoft Exchange messaging and collaboration solution, and they do not have Exchange in house.

 

Noting that small businesses typically lack the expertise to run their own Exchange servers in-house, Merle Sandler, research manager for SMB and Home Office Markets at IDC (News - Alert), said “However, hosted iPhone Exchange services would enable them to gain the advantages, usually reserved for larger firms, of the new iPhone's ActiveSync support.”

 

James Bond, director of engineering at Apptix, said that Apple’s inclusion of ActiveSync mobile access means that our customers can now leverage the latest in mobile devices with the power of hosted Exchange, whether they are a one-person business or a 1000-person corporation.

 

“Apptix applauds Apple for answering the call of business users who wish to use this innovative smartphone with Apptix’s business-class hosted email, providing an affordable means to leverage all the benefits and functionality of enterprise-class communications technology,” he added.