Using Handheld Devices at Brown
Working with handheld devices has never been easier at Brown. Timed with the release of the iPhone 2.0 software, CIS has turned on the Exchange ActiveSync service on our email servers, providing the Brown University community with new ways to access your email and calendar.
In addition to providing a purchase mechanism for faculty and staff to use Brown-owned handhelds other than the Blackberry, the availability of Exchange ActiveSync will allow many faculty and staff, as well as students, to easily send and receive email on their personally-owned units.
Faculty and staff who are currently using the Blackberry can continue to do so. However, when upgrading their model, the feature set of the Windows Mobile and iPhone devices may be useful.
Set your Handheld Password
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See your owner's manual for instructions.
Enabling Exchange ActiveSync on your Handheld
To use the new access method on your handheld device, your unit must support the ActiveSync protocol. In general, this includes all devices using the Windows Mobile 6 system (Blackjack, Tilt, and others), the iPhone with the Version 2 software installed, and recent versions of the Palm handheld line (Treo 650 and others).
If you have any questions as to whether your handheld is capable of Exchange ActiveSync service, please contact your wireless provider.
Setting up ActiveSync on your iPhone
Setting up ActiveSync on your WindowsMobile and Palm OS
Obtaining a Wireless Device from CIS
For faculty and staff who are looking for a smartphone that is enabled for email, phone, and general web browsing, CIS' Telecom group recommends purchasing handhelds with the WindowsMobile 6 operating system. Telecom offers a variety of handhelds on the ATT network, and specifically recommends the Samsung Blackjack, ATT Tilt, or Palm Treo, all featuring the WindowsMobile interface.
In addition to WindowsMobile 6 devices, Telecom can obtain Blackberries and iPhones (subject to availabilty), for faculty and staff use.
To contact CIS' Telecom group and obtain a device, please call x32007. As with all Telecom purchases, departmental approval is required prior to placing an order for service.
Which Device is Best for Me?
Many faculty and staff are finding that the feature set of the Windows Mobile devices are more varied, with additional features that are not yet available on the Blackberry handhelds. They are well suited for email, and most have good integrated web browsers.
Others may find that the iPhone's stronger browser, display, and integrated iPod are preferable; however, some users report that typing on the iPhone's touch screen is more difficult than the key-based layouts of many ActiveSync devices and the Blackberry.
The Blackberry is best suited for people who primarily use their handheld for email, and who do not need additional browsing features or third-party tools. Blackberries tend to be more expensive, and require a license and direct connection to Brown's Blackberry Exchange Server.
Other Features of Your Handhelds
The CIS Help Desk's focus for supporting handheld devices is the connection of devices to Brown's email servers using the Exchange ActiveSync protocol. Unfortunately, due to the wide variety of software and services available, CIS cannot assist with other third-party applications or features of your handheld at this time.
The CIS Help Desk will accept users on a walk-in basis for assistance with connecting email settings on handheld devices.
Connecting your WiFi-enabled device to Brown's Wireless network
Currently, most WiFi handhelds can connect to "Brown" wireless, which allows for basic web browsing and internet access. Connections to Brown's Secure wireless network and Brown's Cisco VPN client are now available for iPhone and iPod Touch with version 2.0 software.
CIS is looking at trying to solve incompatibility problems between Brown-Secure and other devices. When changes do not adversely affect the security of the Brown network, we will continue to make changes to our services to make them more widely available.