Easy to use, less expensive, more features, simpler to support. These words, music to the ears of small and midsize customers, aptly describe Microsoft's latest Exchange-based mobility solution. By extending a rich Outlook experience to smartphones and PDAs running Windows Mobile, Microsoft provides a compelling alternative to more complex solutions that require middleware or a network operations center (NOC) to relay e-mail messages.

What's more, Exchange-based solu tions make solid business sense for Microsoft's partners. They are simple to set up, requiring just a few minutes of work on the Exchange server and handset. Since solutions combine hardware, software, services and recurring revenue from mobile data subscription fees, they can be highly profitable. And Microsoft-based mobility is an excellent way for Exchange integrators to get closer to customers and distance themselves from competitors.

"Our partners can make significant incremental revenues by extending their Exchange and Small Business Server practices to enable mobile users to manage their e-mail, calendars, tasks and contacts," says Randy Both, senior mobility marketing manager at Microsoft. "The real business opportunity, however, is for partners to become more 'sticky' to their customers by helping them solve mobility problems. Few solution providers are differentiating themselves this way, and it's a massive opportunity."

Solution providers deploying Exchange-based mobility agree. They also find that mobilizing Outlook can lead to additional solution sales. "The demand in the SMB space is driven by the expansion of the borders of the work environment," says Kevin McVicker, director of the Portland office of Ascentium, a marketing and tech nology consultancy. "The need for mobile Outlook functionality creates the initial demand. Once that is in place, you can broaden the solution to include unified communications, mobile CRM and vertical applications. That's when productivity really soars."

Microsoft-sponsored research by IDC confirms this assessment. Midsize customers running Exchange-based mobility with Windows Mobile and another mobile application received payback of their deployment costs in 7.5 months on average; the three-year ROI averaged 459 percent.

Back to the Future
Microsoft's latest mobile messaging solution relies on ActiveSync Direct Push Technology in Exchange Server 2007, or Exchange Server 2003 with Service Pack 2, coupled with mobile devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6.0. Exchange Server uses IP-based notifications to push e-mail, contacts, calendars and task updates to the handsets the moment information arrives at the server. Because Direct Push tightly integrates the mobile devices with Exchange Server, the solution requires no middleware to relay data, in contrast to solutions from third-party manufacturers.

Both approaches have their merits, of course -- solutions such as RIM's BlackBerry may offer higher sync and security functionality. But when you assess the needs of typical SMBs, "they want the productivity benefits of mobility but don't want to spend a lot," says Mark Kuta, senior vendor business manager, Mobility Division, at Ingram Micro. "For them Microsoft provides a great solution. All they need is their current 2003/2007 Exchange Server and a Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6.0 device such as a Palm Treo 700W or WX, a Treo 750 or a Motorola Q."

With Windows Mobile 5.0, this combination gives users mobile e-mail and Outlook functionality, as well as Global Address List lookup. IT administrators can set mobile password policies and remotely wipe devices that are misplaced or lost. Windows Mobile 6.0 lets users wipe devices from their Outlook desktops; from their handsets they can search Exchange Server per client and create and forward calendar appointments.

Calling Mobile E-mail Customers
Since this functionality is built into Exchange and Windows Mobile at no additional cost, the price is right, as is ease of setup. "The solution provider just flips two switches on the server side to turn on mobile access for the users," says Kuta. "Then you set the mobile devices to ping the Exchange server. It takes 10 minutes to set a device up, and all of a sudden users are getting mobile e-mail and Outlook."

Arun Patel, CEO of Micro Symplex, an MSP for five years, has found that most customers don't realize that Microsoft has added these capabilities to Exchange and Windows Mobile. When he comes across mobile middleware subscribers, he makes the Micro - soft case by explaining the benefits via an ROI analysis.

"Many of my Exchange 2003 and Small Business Server 2003 customers think ActiveSync is for local desktops only," Patel says. "They don't realize that you never have to plug your phone into your local machine; you don't have to buy Bluetooth to sync. We explain that Exchange will sync with your Windows Mobile device no matter where you are, as long as you have a signal."

For SMB customers, the discussion turns to the complexity and expense of maintaining a third-party middleware server -- "buying it, installing it and adding one more level of possible failure," Patel says. "With Microsoft Exchange Server and the right smartphone or PDA, there's nothing else to buy."

Patel also notes the expense of supporting third-party middleware, a concern to him as an MSP who charges a fixed fee for full IT support. Micro Symplex's engineers spend one to two hours per week supporting non-Microsoft-OS devices. User training and support is easier on the Microsoft platform as well: The mobile Outlook experience is familiar, and all of Micro Symplex's engineers know Exchange.

Mobile Unified Communications
McVicker of Ascentium has been successful in converting mobile users to the Microsoft platform at Guardian Management, a midsize property management firm. Starting with a unified communications solution based on Exchange Server 2007, the engagement included converting 30 users to Exchange-based mobility.

As a result, Guardian saved money by dropping the additional middleware server software, subscriptions and support. It also gained a more efficient messaging infrastructure.

"The key benefit of Microsoft's unified communications solution is that it combines mobility with integration of other devices, centralizing everything through Exchange and Outlook," McVicker says. "With unified communications, all voice mail, e-mail and faxes show up in the user's Outlook inbox, allowing access from the desktop, from Office Outlook Web Access and from a Windows Mobile device."

Guardian's executives are so pleased with the solution that they are considering adding mobile CRM from Microsoft. "We see it as an ongoing process," McVicker says. "You start with a certain level of mobile IT capabilities, and these create a need for the next level. It's profitable for us and for our customers."