This may not come as a surprise to many – those of you a little more familiar with Smartphone Plans on the Big Red – but to the rest, fair warning: If you plan to use ActiveSync to connect Exchange you can expect to pay a little more.
“The industry is abuzz over the Motorola Droid, the first Google Android 2.0-based smartphone, to be released on Friday, Nov. 6, in the United States, with network access provided by Verizon Wireless. But 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.”
As mentioned, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to subscribers who are already using a VZW smartphone for this, as the article goes on to say:
“Verizon offers three data plans for Droid customers: $30 month on top of your voice plan’s rate for non-Exchange usage, $45 per month on top of your voice plan’s rate for Exchange usage, and $50 per month total cost for a data-only plan (whether or not you use it to access Exchange). Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney notes that the requirement to get the $45 “smartphone plan” for corporate e-mail usage applies to any smartphone, such as the BlackBerry — not just to the Droid. “The Droid is primarily a consumer phone,” Raney adds.”
[Via InfoWorld]
UPDATE: VZW Clarifies.