<p>The news over the weekend that Google's Gmail service will be ending support for Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync protocol is a blow to Microsoft's Windows Phone.</p><p>The Redmond company's mobile platform doesn't support the CalDAV and CardDAV protocols that Google will be rolling out as an alternative, which means that future Windows Phone buyers who use Gmail will be getting their messages more slowly, without the ability to sync calendars or contacts.</p><p>Microsoft's Windows and Windows Phone teams have yet to comment on the move, but the company's Outlook.com team (formerly Hotmail) says it was "very surprised" by the news.</p><p>"It means that many people currently using Gmail for free are facing a situation where they might have to degrade their mobile email experience by downgrading to an older protocol that doesn't sync your calendar or contacts, doesn't give you direct push of new email messages and doesn't have all the benefits of Exchange ActiveSync," writes Dharmesh Mehta, Senior Director, Product Management for Outlook.com, in a blog post.</p><p><a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2012/microsoft-2/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.computerworld.in/news/gmail-wobbles-again-friday-fourth-incident-late-last-week-52362012">Gmail Wobbles Again on Friday, Fourth Incident Since Late Last Week</a> (Computerworld India)</p><p><a href="http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/google-to-stop-supporting-microsoft-exchange-in-gmail-17-12-2012/">Google To Stop Supporting Microsoft Exchange In Gmail</a> (Geeky gadgets)</p><p><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/14/3767626/google-dropping-google-sync-exchange-support-for-gmail-calendar-and">Google makes Gmail sync harder on rival platforms by dropping Exchange ...</a> (The Verge)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dLKZyOsLo_tRiIMyuDxRmgVNd5m7M&ned=us">97 additional articles.</a></p>