Verizon yesterday got kicked around the Internet for allegedly planning to charge business users of Motorola's Droid smartphone extra to access Exchange email behind the corporate firewall.
The only problem with that meme is that it's not true.
Among those doing the kicking were Wired's Priya Ganapat, who wrote "Droid users will have to pay at least an additional $15 a month on top of their data plan for Exchange access. That means $45 a month including Exchange support instead of $30 a month for a data only plan."
Infoworld's Galen Gruman wrote that "users who buy the device and expect to use its built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support to get corporate e-mail from Exchange servers will have to pay an additional $15 per month for the privilege, Verizon confirms."
But that seems to be based on a misinterpretation of what Verizon was actually confirming or in this case trying to confirm.
Verizon's point is that there is on special data plan for the Droid: the new phone has exactly the same data plan options that Verizon's other Windows Mobile phones have. And it doesn't matter what you do with the phone: you can access Exchange or Gmail or anything else with whatever plan you opt for.
PC Mag's Gearlog blogger Sascha Segan had the most straightforward explanation, I think: Verizon offers a personal (or family) data plan for $30 a month, and a business plan for $45. On either, you can access Exchange, Gmail or whatever email system you're using.
She writes:
"If you have a personal account or family plan, your data will cost $30/month. It doesn't matter if you're using Microsoft Exchange, Facebook, Gmail, or whatever - it's $30. This is the same for all Verizon Windows Mobile and Android phones.
"Data on business accounts - "corporate liable," multiple lines, purchased through business sales, usually mediated by an IT department - costs $45/month. Once again, this is the same for every Windows Mobile and Android phone."
As one poster, Steve, responded: "The sad/funny thing is that I know a lot of people that said they aren't going to get the Droid because they thought Verizon was going to charge them $15/month extra to hit their personal exchange account due to the misleading articles that have been posted."
This is the same approach used by other carriers, Segan notes, such as AT&T: offering both personal and business data accounts, with a higher monthly charge for the business plan, with whatever email backends that your device, such as the iPhone, supports.
For business users, the IT department still has to set up authorization, security, and access by the Droid to the corporate Exchange server. The Droid, like the iPhone and many others, runs the licensed Microsoft ActiveSync client to support Exchange interaction, though each manufacturer can choose what Exchange features and options to support.
As Segan notes, Verizon doesn't care if you're a personal data plan user "doing business" with your Droid. But a business, as a customer, will have a business data plan for its mobile users. And they can all access Exchange.
Cox is a senior editor at Network World.
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Unless things have changed
Unless things have changed at Verizon since I stopped working there four months ago, push email and PIM synchronization via Exchange ActiveSync are disabled under the $30 data plan. It is the same for all phones, even BlackBerries. Any service that enables remote synchronization or push email requires the $45 plan.
You can enable POP3 access on the Exchange server and use the $30 plan, though.
droid
You can use the microsoft exchange with the $30 plan with the droid. I could not access email from my blackberry but I get it easy on the droid.
re: Unless things have changed
John W. Cox senior editor Network World
Thanks for posting. I've got a query in Verizon to get that clarified.
Acceptable to me
So long as my business is paying the same for a Droid data plan as it is for a Blackberry data plan, I'm fine with it.
Yep, they make you pay for Windows Mobile
My wife had a personal Windows Mobile phone from Verizon. The data plan was $45 a month and they told us that she was not eligible for the $30 a month plan because it ran Windows Mobile. She had that phone for about four years. It was strictly personal use.
She finally switched to an iPhone because the $180 a year savings paid for the iPhone in less than two years.
Ray
nickel and dime, dime or nickel?
I am excited about the new smart phone coming out from Verizon and Google. I've wanted an iPhone as long as the iPhone has been out, however I am not switching carriers again because Verizon does have a very good network.
What amazes me is the nickel and diming for various services. Why can't a company just decide on a flat price and leave it at that. I thought I heard somewhere that even with Droid, Verizon plans on charging for text messages. Does this even make sense? You would already be paying for a data plan, yet you are going to be charged for text messaging, data plan and wireless phone plan? I know landlines are going away, however why continue to nickel and dime everyone?? I've had my current Verizon phone (motorola) for 4 years now and never upgraded. I can continue using it for a lot longer, not a big deal to me.. Just food for thought....
Duh
Come on guy - ask the obvious question.
Why would businesses with more negotiation power pay more for their data service IF THEY DID NOT GET MORE FOR IT.
Some Confusion in the Verizon Stores
I was just in a local Verizon store yesterday (a corporate store, not a mom & pop reseller) and I asked this very question. The customer service reps in the Verizon store told me I would need to have a $45\month data plan to access Exchange email accounts, and the $30 plan only covered POP3 accounts. There is obviously some confusion over these plans. It would be nice to know what the definite truth is.
It sounds to me like the original poster is correct:
"You can enable POP3 access on the Exchange server and use the $30 plan, though."
Verizon needs to be up front for what they are charging for
Let's face it, All the carriers wrap legalize wording that that not only confuses most individuals but leaves a fine line between doing the right thing or taking advantage of the carrier.
We have a lot of folks that use just the $30.00 plan for Exchange Active Sync services and it works just fine. But if you ask AT&T they will tell you you need to be on the $45.00 plan?
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