The Smartphone Revolution: The Growth of Smartphones & Exchange ActiveSync

Technology has made such an impact on society that most people won’t leave home without their cell phone, and their computer has become their best friend. This is why one of the most life-changing pieces of technology for many has been the smartphone — an all-in-one, portable device that combines the functions of a cell phone with the functions of a computer.
Brief History of the Smartphone
Smartphones are actually a relatively new piece of technology.

• 1992 – The first smartphone was invented by IBM in 1992. It was nicknamed, “Simon,” and had a plethora of features including a calendar, address book, calculator, email service, and even a touch screen. At $899.00, though, most people could not afford it.
• 1996 – Nokia launched a series of smartphones in the late ’90s that were basically a cross between a cell phone and a PDA.
• 2000 – Ericsson developed the R380, a touch screen smartphone that used the Symbian operating system and had a foldable keyboard. It was the first all-in-one device to actually be called a smartphone.
• 2002 – This was the year the smartphone revolution really took off. Blackberry was introduced with its email services, as well as the Palm Treo and its full QWERTY keyboard and Ericsson’s P800 model. Several new features were added to smartphones including the MP3 player, camera, and wireless technology. Exchange Email also became popular.
• 2005 – The N-Series of smartphones was introduced to the market by Sony Ericsson. These devices were targeted at business people because of their computing capabilities.
• 2007 – Apple’s coveted iPhone was introduced with its massive app store.
• 2008 – The open-source, Android operating system started to take off, supported by Google, Intel, HTC, and a variety of other developers.
• Now – New smartphones are constantly being introduced to the market by all the major players. The focus is currently on getting faster Internet speeds.

Why Are Smartphones so Popular?
The popularity of the smartphone grew, in part, because of services like Exchange, and their ActiveSync and Push Email services. People loved the idea of being able to access their email and do business while on the go. With the first smartphones, it was difficult to manage a calendar and contacts because they had to be updated on too many separate devices. Exchange allowed people to update information once and have it show up on all the other device they used instantly.
Smartphones have come a long way in a short period of time. Now, we’re anxiously awaiting the technology that comes next.