How do I connect to my Corporate email??

[tom_rodski]

I just bought a Droid from Verizon and would like to connect to my work email. How do I do this and does the application "Touchdown" help me do this?

Currently, I can connect to my corporate email in two ways:

1. The first is through my company issued laptop. I have to log onto the computer, logon to a VPN (Cisco Client), and then I can open Outlook to check my email, calendar, folders, contacts, etc. When I spoke with my IT group, they stated that they only support Blackberry smart phones and have an Enterprise server. My local Verizon store stated that I could not connect in this way, even with Touchdown.

2. The second option is from any computer. I go to a specific website, type in my domain and username (domain/username), and then my password. The logon page states that it's "Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access". I can logon successfully, but navigation on my Droid isn't too convenient. I would like an application to make this easier to use.

 

[REMilk]

I use Touchdown to access my company's MS Exchange email/calendar. I recommend that you download and install the trial of Touchdown to see how it works.

Initially, I was unable to get the setting correct on the Corp email app or Corp Calendar (these come with Droid) to access MS Exchange server. After installing Touchdown, I was able to copy over the settings and get the Droid's Corp email app and Corp Calendar to connect.

However, I liked the integration of the products, which are similar to Outlook, on the the Touchdown trial so well, I purchased it. I use Touchdown every day! I am looking forward to their release of the IMAP email product.

The one improvement on Touchdown I would like to see is the use of Time Zones in setting up appointments like in Outlook.

 

[Droids]

Launch the Corporate Calendar app.

The first field is your work email address, so enter it here
[email protected]

Second field is your work email password
********

Next page, enter your domain username. This would be the name you log into your work computer with. You may or may not need to include the domain, but first try with just the slash and username.
\jdoe

Second line is your password again, and it should already be there.
********

Third line is you company's exchanger server. You may need to get this info from the admins, but try:
exchange.yourcompany.com or
outlook.yourcompany.com

Use secure connection should be checked.
Accept all SSL certificates, normally, should be unchecked.

Press Next and see if it connects.

 

[nateccnn]

Where Droids says this is your exchage server...ask you IT guys for the MACHINE name of the exchange server...then they will know what you're talking about. Guessing at the name will drive you nuts. I've got one named bob.mmtdomain.com it can be named just about anything. Some call it mail.mydomain.com...others call it pop.yadayada.com....you see where this is going. Just ask for the "machine name".

Nate

 

[Droids]

The machine name would be fine in a small enviroment with one exchange server. An enterprise level company would have have more than one. We have about a dozen, supporting 100,000 users. In this case you simple ask the IT folks for the exchange server name, "is our exchange server named exchange.company.com or something else?" If the IT peeps say they only support Blackberry users, then they likely have a BB enterprise server running too, making me believe this is a larger company (and that fact that they probably have a site license for Cisco VPN). The exchange server in this case is propably set up to support ActiveSync for Windows Mobile users, 'cause it's simple to do, and Android uses ActiveSync so even if they say they only officially support BB users, there's a very good chance the Corporate Email app on the Droid will work just fine, once the exchange server name is known. And one way to have a good guess at the server name is when using OWA, if you log into it using https://exchange.yourcompany.com, then exchange would be the first server name to try.

 

[tom_rodski]

Connect to Work Email - Help?

I tried using Driod's step-by-step directions (thanks), but that didn't work. I had the server name also which my company gave me and I also confirmed on my laptop advanced setting in Outlook. I'm guessing this is I'm not on the VPN which I need to be on, as discussed in my initial post.

 

[Droids]

Many times you don't actually need to use a VPN connection to get your Outlook email on the laptop. The company may require it or prefer it but you can usually setup Outlook on the laptop to use a http connection instead. We use Cisco as well and I can run the client if I want to (and we usually tell our staff do do so) but I don't want any VPN apps on my laptop or home computer. Anyway, ask your IT folks if they have ActiveSync enabled on the exchange server. If they don't, you're out of luck. If they do, then ask for the settings they would use for a Windows Mobile phone and use them on the Droid.

 

[nateccnn]

I tried using Driod's step-by-step directions (thanks), but that didn't work. I had the server name also which my company gave me and I also confirmed on my laptop advanced setting in Outlook. I'm guessing this is I'm not on the VPN which I need to be on, as discussed in my initial post.

Take the IT guy to lunch. He probably knows the settings just doesn't want to waste his time with it. Blackberry is so popular he knows the settings with his eyes closed. If you can get him in a relaxed envioronment he can see how easy it is to set up the Droid.

You need to know things about secure connecitons...ssl...https...html first? Firewall settings are a whole nuther issue too. Best to just get this guy in a room for an hour with some hot food. Take him out for drinks after work if he gets it set up right.

Nate

 

[EbE404]

Not to be a downer here, but there are several legal and technical issues that might make this a no-no.

Essentially, what you are asking to do is to access, download and store company information on a personal, uncontrolled, device that may be outside your IT department's direct control.

The web client you mention is essentially a viewer client-you can see the information and interact with it, but nothing is ever stored locally. With your Droid, you will create a local storage of this information. I have no idea what your line of work is, but if this has anything to do with customer, corporate, intellectual property, financial or medical records, there are a variety of reasons that your IT department might not be overjoyed to let just any device store and access that information.

My company requires us to use God-awful WinMo phones because of special encryption and security software they make use use for this very reason.

I agree, talk to the IT guys, and be nice. They might let you do this, but be careful, as this might pose very real problems for both them and you.

 

[nateccnn]

hmm...my owa client has an option to cache for off-line viewing. where does it store that cache? not locally? weird.

Droid does seem to have a problem with self signed certificates. but it certianly allows secure connections. What I find is IT departments that are not fully versed in SSL connections will say that they don't support Android phones because they read some forum comment that Deroid needs Touchdown and does not do secure connections and they leave it at that. Why bother learning something new when everything was working smoothly before Android ever appeared? lol

Nate (who has a secure coonection between his Droid and his Exchange server)

 

[EbE404]

hmm...my owa client has an option to cache for off-line viewing. where does it store that cache? not locally? weird.

Droid does seem to have a problem with self signed certificates. but it certianly allows secure connections. What I find is IT departments that are not fully versed in SSL connections will say that they don't support Android phones because they read some forum comment that Deroid needs Touchdown and does not do secure connections and they leave it at that. Why bother learning something new when everything was working smoothly before Android ever appeared? lol

Nate (who has a secure coonection between his Droid and his Exchange server)

The issue is likely not about how secure or encrypted the actual connection is (although that is critical), but rather what happens with the content.

Look at it this way, and these are just a couple of examples.

As soon as you place data on an uncontrolled device, you have a few issues. How does IT handle remote wiping? Sure, you can turn off the connection, but what about the e-mails and files that are residing on the phone? Do you "turn over the keys" to IT to allow them to nuke everything on your phone, including personal files and data?

In many instances, there are security and data retention policies and laws in place, such as HIPPA. Other issues dictate where data can be stored. Say you have files on you SD card from your company, then back them up via something live WaveSecure. This pushes that data onto servers in Singapore and may create a violation if your retention policy requires all data be stored only on US servers (if you do business with the military, for example).

If you deal with client information, and you leave your job tomorrow, how does IT get that data back if it is stored locally on your personal device? This needs to be done to comply with data retention and privacy policies and laws.

Now, I'm not saying that any of thes scenarios specifically apply, but any of them could. Remember, the role of corporate IT is to consider worse-case scenarios and to apply policies that go down to the lowest idiot that they have to deal with on their systems. I'm certainly not saying anybody here is "that guy", but you may have to deal with policies that you need to follow because of him.

Now, none of this may apply in the OP's case, I'm just saying that there are plenty of issues that could be getting in the way here.

 

[cj1896]

I just bought a Droid from Verizon and would like to connect to my work email. How do I do this and does the application "Touchdown" help me do this?

Currently, I can connect to my corporate email in two ways:

1. The first is through my company issued laptop. I have to log onto the computer, logon to a VPN (Cisco Client), and then I can open Outlook to check my email, calendar, folders, contacts, etc. When I spoke with my IT group, they stated that they only support Blackberry smart phones and have an Enterprise server. My local Verizon store stated that I could not connect in this way, even with Touchdown.

2. The second option is from any computer. I go to a specific website, type in my domain and username (domain/username), and then my password. The logon page states that it's "Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access". I can logon successfully, but navigation on my Droid isn't too convenient. I would like an application to make this easier to use.

Here's what I did (solved this problem without any help from my IT dept :icon_cool

Go to your "Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access" page and sign in. Copy the text EXACTLY as it is in the address bar at the top. I would do this from the phone long press and copy page URL.

Go to settings>accounts and sync>add account>corporate type in user name password. When you get to the next step it will show exchange account url delete whatever the default is and paste in the web address from your Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access.

This was the only way I could get both the corporate calendar and email to work together.

 

[takeshi]

How you connect to your Exchange server depends on what methods are available to you. Not all Exchange servers are configured the same way. If ActiveSync is available it is preferable. However, it sounds like the OP needs to connect via OWA. If that's the case then cj1896's suggestion is a good approach.

I guess my point is, don't assume that what works for you works for all Exchange users.

 

[tom_rodski]

I tried cj1896's suggestion. 1) logged onto Outlook Web Access. I choose the "This is a Private Computer" option and also "Use Outlook Web Access Light" option. 2) Once logged on and looking at my inbox, I copied the very long URL 3) Then I went to add corporate email account, typed in email address and password and clicked Next 4) the next screen shows "\first name.last name" for the domain\user name and I didn't change this. The password is filled in because it remember it from the previous screen. I paste in the long URL into the Server line. The "Use secure connection (SSL)" is checked and the "Accept all SSL certificates" is unchecked.

At this point I try to proceed and click the Next button but nothing happens. Where am I going wrong?

 

[cj1896]

Alright here is my next suggestion...

you said that the address when you sign in online is very long. Try copying just the root of the url. Ignore everything after the .com

For example mine is xyz-exch-01.xyzcompany.com

Also I don't have "accept all ssl certificates" checked.