ActiveSync HTML email not working with Zimbra Mobile

[Miklos Kalman]

Hi,

How can I enable HTML email in Zimbra for the ActiveSync connections? It only allows Plain Text in the server configuration. I am running Windows Mobile 6.1. I have posted the question before but no one has replied yet.

Please help,

Thanks,
Miklos

[dwill]

I'm in the middle of a migration (attempt) right now so can't point it out for sure, but check the COS for your mobile users in the admin panel - look for a group of settings such as :
convert html e-mail to plain text...

When migration completes, I'll edit and provide exact tab it's under

[Miklos Kalman]

Hi,

The only field I see under COS is to view all email as HTML, but that is not for the mobile but rather the web interface. I went through all the tabs, maybe its hidden somewhere. Any thoughts?

Miklos

[dwill]

Hi,

The only field I see under COS is to view all email as HTML, but that is not
Miklos

Yea, I see that now. Have you checked the options on your device?

[Miklos Kalman]

Yes. It does have the option under ActiveSync, however it is grayed out when selecting a Zimbra server. The Email format field can be HTML and Text Only, currently it just defaults to Text Only without the possibility to change it.

I also tried with a normal Exchange server in which case it allowed the HTML option to be selected. Maybe there is a zmprov setting which needs to be issued from the command line?

[DougWare]

I've seen this exact behavior on my Windows Mobile 6.1 device. I haven't found a work around yet....

[Miklos Kalman]

Did it work on previous WMs? For example WM 6.0? I think there should be a bug submission about not being able to view HTML mail using ActiveSync since this can cause problems especially when the email you get has alot of CSS on top.

[ihobbes]

Hi,

I've the same problem. No solution or workaround yet? I use a Palm Treo Pro with WM 6.1 and an Palm Treo750 with WM6.0. Both the same.

Really annoying.

Greetings
ihobbes

[heri]

This is because Zimbra identifies itself as Exchange 2003 to the Windows Mobile Device. Microsoft has crippled the HTML OTA emails capability on Windows Mobile 6 to promote their own additional user capability licenses. It only works when the email server responds as Exchange 2007.

This means either Zimbra did not license the full Exchange Activesync implementation from Microsoft, or Microsoft is well.... keeping a monopoly.

[Baylink]

Or, it could just be more evidence that treating email as a non-HTML environment is a *much* more interoperable approach. (I used to say "7-bit ASCII", but I'll unbend to the extent of tolerating national character sets these days...)