Contributed by Kelly McNeill | osViews This article was syndicated under osViews' Open Content License. October 9, 2003 10:09 PM

Although Entourage has Exchange-compatible calendaring software now, osViews editorial contributor Kelly McNeill believes Apple should incorporate Exchange compatibility into iCal the same way it did with OS X Panther's e-mail client."

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I recently accepted a job as Web developer for a company in my local area. After going through the standard back and forth question and answer session, it was asked if I required any special equipment to do my job more efficiently. I asked if I could choose the computer I would be working on rather than having it assigned to me. The HR person directed me to the IS/IT director to answer the question.

Right off the bat, I asked if I could get a Macintosh rather than the Dell or HP that was typically purchased for new employees. The IT manager gave me a condescending roll of the eyes, then said I could get whatever I wanted as long as I didn't require any special support, that I didn't go over my allocated budget, and that it be compatible with their office productivity apps as well as the company's Exchange Server.

Keep On Rolling

The rolling of the eyes suggested that he would prefer I not get a Mac, but rather than say no and start an OS debate, he gave me what I think he believed were four obstacles I would have difficulty overcoming. These obstacles however, were of little concern for me.

I've been working with Macs (and PCs) as early as 1984, and although I don't pretend to have all the skills to call myself a qualified IT person, I can honestly say that I've never felt the need to call tech support for additional help.

This company -- like so many others I've been employed by -- standardized on Microsoft office for its day to day productivity needs. Although Office is available for OS X, I was comforted by the fact that MS Word could be swapped out for Apple's text edit and that PowerPoint could be swapped for Keynote. While there are OS X solutions that are compatible with Excel, because my job would rarely (if ever) require it, it was a non issue for me.

Next, although they may have been more expensive in the past, a Mac is now priced in accordance to a comparably equipped PC. The last obstacle that I would have to overcome is to integrate my Mac into a Windows network. Thankfully, OS X makes it as easy as connecting an ethernet cable to the back, clicking a few radio buttons then having network permissions turned on.

Hitting A Brick Wall

It was only when I worked towards overcoming the exchange compatibility requirement that I began to hit some snags. Although Microsoft has since released an update to Entourage (The e-mail equivalent to Outlook for OS X) that provides Exchange support, at the time, it wasn't available. So I did what I dreaded most and suggested that our IT director use a different server; ideally something more open. His response to that question is what eventually led to me writing this article.

"There's no way we can switch now, we have a core base of users that use our Exchange server's e-mail, networking and calendaring functionality. I'm not going to change the whole setup because you can't get on the network. Unless you can find me this "more open solution" that provides compatibility without breaking our current setup, you're out of luck" [sic]

It was during Apple's most recent WorldWide Developers conference that the company showcased Panther and mentioned that its e-mail client would have compatibility with Microsoft's Exchange Server. Upon hearing the news, I realized that my remaining compatibility problem would finally be solved. (Or at least partially. I didn't yet have Microsoft's calendaring functionality yet).

Exchange One for Another

Microsoft had previously said that it didn't have immediate plans to introduce a version of its e-mail client that was compatible with its Exchange Server. However, after Apple's announcement, Microsoft (not to be out done) announced an update to their Entourage OS X e-mail client that allowed connectivity with exchange servers. It also included Exchange Server calendaring functionality.

So I was set. After downloading the patch, I took great pride in the fact that I finally managed to overcome each obstacle that was put before me. Unfortunately, the feeling of pride didn't last long. I realized that my computer's ability to remain a productive asset to the company was still in Microsoft's hands and not Apple's.

Only then did I come to the realization that if Apple were to ever get out from under Microsoft's corporate thumb, it would have to inject Exchange compatibility into its iCal calendaring software the same way it did with its e-mail client software.

Some might say that Apple needs to also create competition for Microsoft's office suite to achieve this goal but I disagree. As much as I'd like to use "Apple office", [sic] I'm afraid that such software would cause Microsoft to discontinue development of office for OS X.

While I believe that Apple's software would meet or beat the needs of corporate users, simply having Office available for the Mac gives the platform a great deal of mind share. Apple would be best suited to create the software, keep it up to date, but keep in on the back burner to act as a leveraging tool against Microsoft's discontinuation threats.

Corporate Credibility

If Apple were to inject Exchange compatibility in iCal however, the corporate world could care less if Microsoft discontinued development of its Entourage e-mail software. If anything, it would only increase credibility for Apple's corporate customers, as they tend to appreciate solutions that are more integrated than not.

Earlier this week, it was announced that an update to Apple's OS X operating system (code named Panther) would be made available to their customers at the end of this month. If Apple were to make an update to iCal shortly after Panther's release and incorporate Exchange functionality, that would be fantastic. If Apple made it available at the same time as Panther's release it would be even better.

Apple are you listening?



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