Could push/ActiveSync Gmail be a possibility?

[thefish123]

Hi everyone. I am sure I am not the first person to wonder about this. Microsoft’s “push” email technology that works with Exchange Server is entirely HTTP based. Obviously Microsoft wants this to work with only their server platform but couldn’t it be possible to use this with Gmail?

I can’t honestly see if being that difficult for the folks at Google to reverse engineer the exact format of the HTTP posts going back and forth between an Exchange server and a WM device. On top of this Gmail has Contacts and Calendar as well. If I could sync my WM device with Gmail I wouldn’t need Exchange anymore. I could even use Google Apps to get my email at my own domain name.

I tried setting up mail.google.com and also www.gmail.com as ‘exchange’ servers on my HTC Touch but it didn’t work :-(

The Fish.

[ssschmidt]

Hi everyone. I am sure I am not the first person to wonder about this. Microsoft’s “push” email technology that works with Exchange Server is entirely HTTP based. Obviously Microsoft wants this to work with only their server platform but couldn’t it be possible to use this with Gmail?

I can’t honestly see if being that difficult for the folks at Google to reverse engineer the exact format of the HTTP posts going back and forth between an Exchange server and a WM device. On top of this Gmail has Contacts and Calendar as well. If I could sync my WM device with Gmail I wouldn’t need Exchange anymore. I could even use Google Apps to get my email at my own domain name.

I tried setting up mail.google.com and also www.gmail.com as ‘exchange’ servers on my HTC Touch but it didn’t work :-(
The Fish.

Option 1. forward your gmail account to mail2web or one of the other free services which is a free hosted exchange account (more or less).
Option 2. Set up your gmail for I-map and "idle" it. I know it can be done using flex mail, but not sure about idle in Pocket Outlook.
Option 3. Set up your device to check for mail every X minutes. You already new that one though.
Option 4. Set up to forward your mail to your device. IE: on cingular, it used to be you could forward it to "xxx-xxx-xxxx@cingularme.com" That one, you would need to check with your service provider.

hth

[thefish123]

Hi ssschmidt,

I know there are ways I could forward my Gmail to another email service that is an Exchange Server and so does support Microsoft-style push email BUT I am wondering why Google doesn’t implement this themselves.

There are a tone of Windows Mobile devices out there AND Google is already offering Gmail at your own domain name with “Google Apps” service. If all of a sudden I could get true push Gmail with my own domain name (part of Google Apps) I think a lot of people might reconsider that upgrade to Exchange 2007.

Figuring out the exact format of the HTTP conversation between the WM device and the Exchange server couldn’t be that hard. Heck, I think I might be able to take a crack at it myself :-)

In case anyone is wondering what happens is this. The WM device makes an HTTP request to the Exchange server and says “notify me if anything changes in these folders within the next X minutes”. The Exchange server the starts monitoring the folders in question for the specified period of time. If the folder “changes” (a message arrives, a contact is updated, an appointment re-scheduled) Exchange sends the changed items back as part of the HTTP response (the connection is left open and ‘hanging’ for the specified period of time). If nothing happens and the time period lapses the Exchange server sends an empty response and the HTTP connection is closed. The WM device then resumes the process over again by making another request. This it why it is called “client initiated ‘push’” because in reality the WM device is continually asking for changes. The constant back & forth acts as a kind of heartbeat so both ends of the connection (the WM device and the Exchange Server) know the other is still there (in case the WM device is out of service, turned off or otherwise off the grid).

I can see no reason why this HTTP conversation can’t be implemented (along with the correct URL’s) on a non-Exchange server such as Gmail. If Google decided to offer this I think it might be an Exchange killer. Currently I am thinking of ways I can get my own Exchange server. I have several customers with Exchange and a few of the might be willing to host my email for me. Currently I am using Google Apps which I absolutely LOVE but I would also love to be able to sync my plethora of contacts.

Maybe someone in Google reads these forums :-)

The Fish

[berardi]

I'm sure Google will implement this with Android

[thefish123]

I'm sure Google will implement this with AndroidI am sure your probably right. But if Google is interested in taking business away from Exchange (which I think they are judging by the Google Apps sign-up page) then it would make sense to provide this service to the thousands (if not millions) of WM users out there worldwide.

The Fish.

[ercave1]

Hi everyone. I am sure I am not the first person to wonder about this. Microsoft’s “push” email technology that works with Exchange Server is entirely HTTP based. Obviously Microsoft wants this to work with only their server platform but couldn’t it be possible to use this with Gmail?

I can’t honestly see if being that difficult for the folks at Google to reverse engineer the exact format of the HTTP posts going back and forth between an Exchange server and a WM device. On top of this Gmail has Contacts and Calendar as well. If I could sync my WM device with Gmail I wouldn’t need Exchange anymore. I could even use Google Apps to get my email at my own domain name.

I tried setting up mail.google.com and also www.gmail.com as ‘exchange’ servers on my HTC Touch but it didn’t work :-(

The Fish.

From the posts in this thread, looks like nobody mentioned having tried MobiPush. Mobipush allows you to have your Gmail, Yahoo, or other IMAP or POP account email pushed to your WM 5/6 device using the device's Direct-Push Technology. I am currently using the service with my Gmail account and it works well. Sign up is free. You must setup your Gmail options to allow IMAP or POP access, then follow the instructions on MobiPush's site to setup your device. I also forgot to mention that it seems that only mail is sync'ed at this time (no contacts or calendar, or tasks.) :)

Here's the link:

www.mobipush.com

[mindchill]

Another option is to register for a live hotmail account (mail.live.com) and forward your gmail to this account. You can configure your Touch for push email from live hotmail by following the instructions here: http://blogs.msdn.com/mayurk/archive/2007/02/16/push-email-with-windows-live-hotmail-and-windows-mobile-6-0.aspx

[WMphoton]

Another option is to register for a live hotmail account (mail.live.com) and forward your gmail to this account. You can configure your Touch for push email from live hotmail by following the instructions here: http://blogs.msdn.com/mayurk/archive/2007/02/16/push-email-with-windows-live-hotmail-and-windows-mobile-6-0.aspx

However when you do this your reply comes from your Live/Hotmail account. Do you know if you can do this and have your reply come from your gmail account?

Thanks!

[thefish123]

Apparently there are other companies/groups that have independently developed products that are compatible with Microsoft’s “DirectPush” technology. So the good news is we know it can be and has been done.

Check out this product http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerio_MailServer

Hopefully Google will develop something that will allow Gmail to masquerade as an Exchange server to a Windows Mobile device. Imagine having push email as well as contact and calendar synchronization with Gmail?? on your WM device? All without any third-party connectors/forwarding/etc.

The Fish.

PS: thanks to everyone for all the suggestions...

[berardi]

www.nuevasync.com for contacts and calendar sync - imap sync is coming - but it's been "coming" for a long time so we can only hope...

[gottago]

try http://www.funambol.com
It will sync calendar, email and contacts.

[agentmikeyd]

try http://www.funambol.com
It will sync calendar, email and contacts.

i am currently using funambol with scheduleworld for my google calendar - are you using funambol by itself for your calendar?

thanks

[matuscg]

nuevasync is great for syncing google contacts and calendar. No downloads everything works through activesync. Their blog says gmail is coming so for now I just use IMAP for gmail.

[megalewis]

I simply use www.mobipush.com services, works great for emails.

[csbert]

Hi everyone. I am sure I am not the first person to wonder about this. Microsoft’s “push” email technology that works with Exchange Server is entirely HTTP based. Obviously Microsoft wants this to work with only their server platform but couldn’t it be possible to use this with Gmail?

I can’t honestly see if being that difficult for the folks at Google to reverse engineer the exact format of the HTTP posts going back and forth between an Exchange server and a WM device. On top of this Gmail has Contacts and Calendar as well. If I could sync my WM device with Gmail I wouldn’t need Exchange anymore. I could even use Google Apps to get my email at my own domain name.

I tried setting up mail.google.com and also www.gmail.com as ‘exchange’ servers on my HTC Touch but it didn’t work :-(

The Fish.
First of all, you don't need MS Push because Google does have a mail push mechanism in place. It is called IMAP Idle. You can read it from here: http://www.isode.com/whitepapers/imap-idle.html. So all you need to do is setting up your IMAP IDLE compatible client to sync with gmail via IMAP instead of POP.

Now, you may also like to forward you mail to mail2web and take advantage of the push mail plus push calendar, contact and task. But you can also use OggSync and keep everything in Google.

[csbert]

I'm sure Google will implement this with Android

Well, they already have the solution.

[gottago]

i am currently using funambol with scheduleworld for my google calendar - are you using funambol by itself for your calendar?

thanks

Actually I am only using/testing funambol on my gmail. I don't use a calendar as of yet, too little time to test on funambol. I do know that contacts synch via funambol does work. I guess you are calling me to task;-)

[thefish123]

I know there are various ways using combinations of third party software and/or services and so forth of syncing email one way, calendar another, etc, etc. But imagine being able to sync EVERYTHING in Google Apps with their counterparts on your Windows Mobile device using the NATIVE built-in synchronization mechanism of that device.

If Google is serious about killing Exchange in the SMB market place they will implement this.

Currently I still sync my Vogue with my Exchange server even though I also use Google Apps.

The Fish

[margosmark]

there is always this
http://www.codeplex.com/ImapPusherService

works well for me

[thefish123]

OK, little brag moment there but!!! Have a look at this screen shot. I am not 100% sure when Google added this but this is EXACTLY what I was hoping for just over a year ago! Did I call it or what? I can't imagine Gmail/Google Apps being any cooler :-)

The Fish

[kenl]

www.nuevasync.com for contacts and calendar sync - imap sync is coming - but it's been "coming" for a long time so we can only hope...

imap has been around for years on now. if yours is still not enabled.. possibly cuz of your region setting in your account, usually USA will enable Imap.

google has active sync going for your gmail contact and calendar only at the moment it will be setup like your exchange details

http://www.google.com/mobile/default/sync.html

it is limited at themoment just to calendar and contact but they are getting there.

[thefish123]

imap has been around for years on now.Yup, I got that... IMAP's nothing like the push 100%-in-sync experience you get with an Exchange server.
it is limited at themoment just to calendar and contact but they are getting there.I just noticed that. Too bad. But yes, they are getting there. I am sure email via DirectPush isn't far off anymore now that they are already doing this with contacts and calendar.

The Fish

[pigscanfly]

From the posts in this thread, looks like nobody mentioned having tried MobiPush. Mobipush allows you to have your Gmail, Yahoo, or other IMAP or POP account email pushed to your WM 5/6 device using the device's Direct-Push Technology. I am currently using the service with my Gmail account and it works well. Sign up is free. You must setup your Gmail options to allow IMAP or POP access, then follow the instructions on MobiPush's site to setup your device. I also forgot to mention that it seems that only mail is sync'ed at this time (no contacts or calendar, or tasks.) :)

Here's the link:

www.mobipush.com

Thank for the tip it works great. But this Direct-Push Technology it seems to be really draining my battery.

[thefish123]

I am sure email via DirectPush isn't far off anymore now that they are already doing this with contacts and calendar.Its here now!!! check it out.
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/push-gmail-for-iphone-and-windows.html

The Fish!!

[canyoufindben]

Its here now!!! check it out.
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/push-gmail-for-iphone-and-windows.html

The Fish!!

Anyone looking for Direct Push of their Gmail, Contacts, and Calendars can point their computers here. www.google.com/sync
This includes Windows Mobile Devices. Just Click on Windows Mobile, and then click on Setup Google Sync. Google's Push capabilities have been pushing Contacts and Calendars for some time, but just recently added Gmail to that list. No longer will you have to setup a separate IMAP retrieval on your phone.