Google has moved another baked in OS service to the Google Play Store today as they continue to uncouple some apps and services from the base Android image. Google Exchange Services has, to now, been a part of Android and was only ever updated when there was a new update to the platform. This move to make it stand alone will improve the chances of it getting updated more quickly than it has in the past. It also means that anyone can use Gmail to get their Exchange mail, something that previously was only available to Nexus device users.
If you recall, a couple of weeks ago I posted on support for Exchange coming to all Gmail users and this release of Google Exchange Services goes hand-in-hand with that update. Now anyone can
Gmail for Android
download this new app and, along with the latest version of Gmail, can get their corporate mail in Gmail just like a Nexus user.
The update however brings more than just Exchange support. Users will now be able to set up an Out of Office in Gmail for Exchange and Rich Text Formatting is also available. Support has also been added to allow you to forward an event via Exchange and for those who are curious, support for EAS 16 is also in this update.
For those of you who have a Nexus device, you have likely already received the update via an OTA update while other devices, who may have had it installed, will also see the update. I, for example, received the update on my Cyanogen based OnePlus One in addition to my Nexus devices. If you want to download it for your device, you can do so at this link and then will be able to add your Exchange account to Gmail.
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