Active Sync confusion...

[MrEL337]

Great site! Thanks for any help in advance.

I am a current Blackberry user who is considering moving to the Motorola Droid on the 5th of next month per my upgrade date and I just had a couple questions. I have tried to Google for some answers but am either getting mixed answers or not able to obtain the information I am looking for. Basically I'm wondering if the rumor is true that VZW will require me to increase my data plan from the current $29.99 package to the $44.99 offering for the Active Sync to work with my Droid phone. And if this is indeed true (which would be highly disappointing), are there any ways around this? I have seen mentioned on a number of posts that there is an app for the Droid called Touchdown Exchange that seems to work well. Would I be able to utilize this app to connect to my company's Exchange server and avoid paying an increase if there is one? Also, are there any security drawbacks to using the Touchdown app? Thanks so much for any information that can be provided. I am really torn right now between the Storm 2 and the Droid but am leaning heavily towards the Droid due to it's present and future capabilities. I just want to make sure that I have most of the details ironed out before I walk out with one. Thanks for reading!

 

[p08757]

It is my understanding that you can get the $30.00 data plan and use Active Sync.

On your BB now do you use the Enterprise Activation?

I'm currently using the Enterprise Activation and Verizon told me I needed the $45.00 plan to make this work.

 

[johncihak]

I do not use Exchange with my Droid, but my understanding is that VZW tries to upsell you to the $45 plan, but unless you are a buying the service for a large enterprise, you can use the $30 plan with Exchange sync. You have 30 days to decide. If Exchange doesn't work with the $30 plan the way you like, you can exchange for the Storm.

 

[MrEL337]

It is my understanding that you can get the $30.00 data plan and use Active Sync.

On your BB now do you use the Enterprise Activation?

I'm currently using the Enterprise Activation and Verizon told me I needed the $45.00 plan to make this work.

I am currently using the BIS option for my Blackberry but I never thought to give it a shot and see if it works on the Enterprise side. I will have to check that out. Thanks for the input. I really hope that I can save the extra $15.

 

[MrEL337]

I do not use Exchange with my Droid, but my understanding is that VZW tries to upsell you to the $45 plan, but unless you are a buying the service for a large enterprise, you can use the $30 plan with Exchange sync. You have 30 days to decide. If Exchange doesn't work with the $30 plan the way you like, you can exchange for the Storm.

I wonder why the upsell attempt, $15 isn't huge but I'd like to at least know that I'm actually getting something for it. I didn't think about the large enterprise bit. There are only a few people on our corporate server using the sync. The rest are BB users so perhaps I won't be viewed on the enterprise side of things. Do either of you know anything about the Touchdown app? Thanks again!

 

[p08757]

I don't have my Droid yet, so I don't know anything about the Touchdown app, but I'm hoping to save the $15 a month when I switch.

I'm almost 100% sure (99.999%) that you don't have to pay the extra $15.00 a month to connect to your active sync server.

I think some people said the Touchdown app works better for them than the active sync that is included with the Droid.

 

[cyclops]

I use Touchdown to access my corporate Exchange server, works great, although some forced closes occasionally -- I have the $29.99 data plan purchased as a personal liability account and it works just dandy. If you have a corporate liability plan, I understand your company gets billed $44.99 for data.

 

[MrEL337]

I don't have my Droid yet, so I don't know anything about the Touchdown app, but I'm hoping to save the $15 a month when I switch.

I'm almost 100% sure (99.999%) that you don't have to pay the extra $15.00 a month to connect to your active sync server.

I think some people said the Touchdown app works better for them than the active sync that is included with the Droid.

Thanks! Yeah I just checked the VZW site and I can't find anything in the small print between the 2 data plans that mentions active sync. I think I might be ok.

 

[MrEL337]

I use Touchdown to access my corporate Exchange server, works great, although some forced closes occasionally -- I have the $29.99 data plan purchased as a personal liability account and it works just dandy. If you have a corporate liability plan, I understand your company gets billed $44.99 for data.

That sounds like it makes more sense as that would be a business line. From the sounds of things I might be safe then which makes me happy and even more ready to grab the Droid. Is it just a one time fee for the Touchdown app?

 

[p08757]

Cyclops,

personal liability = you pay = $30.00 data plan
corporate liability = company pay = $45.00 data plan

Is this correct? or is there more to it?

 

[tealturboser]

No, do not pay the $45 at all period. Get the $30 plan it works just fine

 

[dagostin]

the 45 is for corporations as pointed out, as an individual consumer you pay the 30 thats all

 

[tealturboser]

Cyclops,

personal liability = you pay = $30.00 data plan
corporate liability = company pay = $45.00 data plan

Is this correct? or is there more to it?

If you have the ability to choose your plan you get the $30 plan, my company pays a portion of my bill and I have the $30 plan and it works just fine. If you search you will know the $45 plan is not needed with this phone

 

[drowe#AC]

The way it was explained to me..... The $30 plan is unlimited data and e-mail. The $45 plan is that PLUS the ability to sync with an exchange server. If you don't want to sync with an exchange server, you don't need to pay the extra money. You can still pop or use imap to access the server if it is set up for it, but you can't use the exchange push feature.

David

 

[MrEL337]

Ahh ok so it seems the answers are pretty mixed on here too. I think I will test it out on the $30 plan since I currently have that and see if it works. And I'm guessing that the Touchdown app will not work if not on the $45 option also. Kind of a bummer but I'll get over it I suppose if it in fact doesn't work out. Again, thanks for all the responses.

 

[p08757]

This is what I found on BGR:

Okay. There's a lot of confusion going on around the Internet about the Motorola Droid's service plans. Some people are saying that if you want to connect to a Microsoft Exchange account, data will cost $45 a month instead of $30.


This is wrong.


I checked with Verizon Wireless HQ and got the official response from spokeswoman Brenda Raney. First of all, the Droid uses the exact same data plans as every Windows Mobile phone on Verizon. There is no special Droid data plan.


Second, whether you pay $30 or $45 doesn't depend on what you're doing with the phone. You can hit Exchange email on the $30 plan just fine. It depends on what kind of Verizon Wireless account you have.



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.


The same goes for AT&T's iPhones, by the way. Thousands if not millions of people access Microsoft Exchange email on personal, $30/month iPhone data plans, blissfully unaware that if they were a corporate-liable business account their data plan would cost $45. Once again, it's not down to the kind of e-mail you're accessing, it's down to whether you are classed as an "individual" or a "business" in the carrier's system.


So where's the confusion been coming from? Carrier definitions of "business" and normal human definitions of "business" are different. For carriers, it doesn't matter if you're doing business. They only care if you are a business. Are you a rogue operator, a lone wolf, using a personal credit card to activate your single line of service? Then plow right ahead with your Exchange email on the $30 plan - with your Droid or your iPhone.

 

[MrEL337]

This is what I found on BGR:

Okay. There's a lot of confusion going on around the Internet about the Motorola Droid's service plans. Some people are saying that if you want to connect to a Microsoft Exchange account, data will cost $45 a month instead of $30.


This is wrong.


I checked with Verizon Wireless HQ and got the official response from spokeswoman Brenda Raney. First of all, the Droid uses the exact same data plans as every Windows Mobile phone on Verizon. There is no special Droid data plan.


Second, whether you pay $30 or $45 doesn't depend on what you're doing with the phone. You can hit Exchange email on the $30 plan just fine. It depends on what kind of Verizon Wireless account you have.



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.


The same goes for AT&T's iPhones, by the way. Thousands if not millions of people access Microsoft Exchange email on personal, $30/month iPhone data plans, blissfully unaware that if they were a corporate-liable business account their data plan would cost $45. Once again, it's not down to the kind of e-mail you're accessing, it's down to whether you are classed as an "individual" or a "business" in the carrier's system.


So where's the confusion been coming from? Carrier definitions of "business" and normal human definitions of "business" are different. For carriers, it doesn't matter if you're doing business. They only care if you are a business. Are you a rogue operator, a lone wolf, using a personal credit card to activate your single line of service? Then plow right ahead with your Exchange email on the $30 plan - with your Droid or your iPhone.

Thanks for helping to clear that up! I really appreciate it. Can't wait for January 5th now!