Category Archives: Announcements

CompanionLink announces Outlook sync for Windows Phone 7

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CompanionLink is happy to announce sync support for Windows Phone 7 devices like the Samsung Focus, HTC Surround, HTC HD7, LG Quantum, and Dell Venue Pro.

CompanionLink syncs Outlook contacts, calendar and tasks to any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps account. Google provides wireless contact and calendar sync to Windows Phone 7 through the Exchange ActiveSync protocol. In addition to Microsoft Outlook, CompanionLink supports sync with Outlook Business Contact Manager, Sage ACT!, Palm Desktop, Novell GroupWise, and Time & Chaos.

CompanionLink’s sync solutions for Windows Phone 7 start at $39.95. More information and a 14-day free trial can be found at www.companionlink.com/windowsphone/

CompanionLink Announces New Outlook Sync Product

Posted on by Andy Sheragy
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CompanionLink Software releases a new Microsoft Outlook sync product called CompanionLink for Outlook. CompanionLink’s sync software for Microsoft Outlook syncs Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks and notes with Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Palm webOS, Windows Mobile, and Google. CompanionLink for Outlook offers four methods to sync:

  1. Direct USB Sync
  2. Local Wi-Fi Sync
  3. Sync via Google
  4. CL Secure Hosted Sync

Direct USB Sync provides a fast and secure method to sync Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks and notes with any Android, BlackBerry, Palm webOS or Windows Mobile device. This method ensures maximum data security because it does not use a cloud-based service to store or exchange data.

Local Wi-Fi Sync allows synchronizing Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks and notes to iPhone, iPad and Android (coming soon) using a home or office Wi-Fi network. The PC and mobile phone are connected to the same network, through which CompanionLink synchronizes data. Users get a secure wireless sync with no monthly fees.

Sync via Google takes Outlook contacts and calendar and syncs them with any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps account. Using the free Google Sync service, Google provides wireless sync of contacts and calendar to any Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Palm webOS, or Windows Mobile device.

CL Secure Hosted Sync is a wireless subscription service ($9.95/month) that provides secure and automatic wireless sync of all data types to Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile devices.  Data will sync automatically anywhere the device has a wireless data connection.

CompanionLink for Outlook is available for $39.95. More information and a 14-day free trial of the software are available at www.companionlink.com/outlook/

Business 101 (as taught by Palm): Don’t ignore your core users, RIM.

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Get out your #2 pencils. Choose the best answer from the options below.

Palm’s biggest mistake with the webOS launch was:

  • A.  Poor operating system design
  • B.  Lack of apps
  • C.  Forgetting their legacy user base of Palm die-hards
  • D.  Those freaky commercials

Will RIM fail like Palm?

If you read the heading, you know the answer is C (yeah, you can argue for D). Last year, Palm made a critical oversight when they introduced the Pre and Pixi with the new webOS operating system. They ignored their legacy users. Palm OS users were very dependent on Palm’s business-friendly organizer features and the ability to HotSync data with their PCs. As a consumer phone, Palm webOS didn’t offer a native sync with Palm Desktop and lacked core business functionality. The older Palm OS users were business users who were left scratching their heads when they saw the new Pre and Pixi. The end result was that many Palm die-hards felt neglected and lost whatever remaining loyalty they had. And look what happened to Palm.

The launch of the iPhone 4 and influx of dozens of Android-based phones have begun to challenge RIM’s market share in a serious way. RIM’s comeback strategy centers around their new BlackBerry 6 OS (and newly announced tablet, the Playbook), offering crucial improvements in web and media support. BlackBerry 6 OS was launched in conjunction with the BlackBerry Torch.

RIM also introduced a new version of their desktop software, BlackBerry Desktop 6. The older versions allowed third-party vendors to work as an add-in to support and sync data with BlackBerry devices. However, the new BlackBerry Desktop 6 broke support for most third-party add-ins (including CompanionLink, Ilium eWallet, and Ascendo DataVault) with no warning to customers, much to their frustration. Upon upgrading to Blackberry Desktop 6, thousands of users immediately lost crucial functionality.

To further complicate problems, the new BlackBerry Desktop added support for Microsoft Outlook 2010 (used by millions), but only the 32-bit edition. BlackBerry Desktop 6 is incompatible with Outlook 2010 64-bit, with planned support sometime “in 2011”. While RIM has made large strides in improving their platform to stay competitive with Android and Apple, they must not forget that their primary competitive advantage has always been business integration (read also as: business users).

RIM would be prudent to learn from Palm and not ignore their core market of business users. While it’s important for companies to pursue new technologies, completely shunning old customers and the things they value is not a sustainable business plan. RIM would be smart to pay attention to these lessons courtesy of Palm.

How to sync the T-Mobile G2 with Outlook

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The T-Mobile G2 is a new Android slider, released today on (you get one guess) T-Mobile. Many new G2 owners are migrating from older BlackBerrys or Windows Mobile devices, and will be looking for a way to sync the G2 with Outlook. Google provides the free Google Calendar Sync tool to sync the primary Outlook calendar with any Google account. The T-Mobile G2 can automatically sync contacts and calendar with a Google account through its wireless data connection. However, Google provides no support to sync contacts or other data types, such as tasks and notes.

CompanionLink offers two ways to sync the G2 with Outlook – wired USB sync and wireless sync through Google. CompanionLink’s wireless sync via Google supports two-way sync of contacts and calendar, and offers the ability to sync with any Outlook folder. CompanionLink can also sync Outlook tasks to the Google calendar as untimed entries.

CompanionLink’s USB sync with the G2 works in tandem with an Android app called DejaOffice. DejaOffice is an integrated suite of calendar, contacts, tasks and notes apps for Android with support for advanced Outlook features such as color-coded categories and custom fields. Outlook data will sync to the DejaOffice business apps on the G2.

CompanionLink is free for 14 days. For more information and to download the free trial, visit www.companionlink.com/g2

Sync with the BlackBerry Playbook?

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Yesterday, RIM announced their foray into tablet computing by introducing the BlackBerry Playbook. RIM’s new tablet will run an entirely new operating system: BlackBerry Tablet OS.

BlackBerry PlayBook

With any new mobile operating system, we here at CompanionLink immediately begin evaluating its sync capabilities. We currently know from RIM’s announcement that the BlackBerry Playbook will sync with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, much like the current generation of BlackBerry phones. For standalone or small business users without access to a BES server, we can stipulate that the Playbook will sync directly with the PC using the BlackBerry Desktop Software (again, much like the current BlackBerry devices). If this indeed is the case, then CompanionLink may offer two-way sync with the BlackBerry Playbook from day 1, as CompanionLink works as an add-in within the BlackBerry Desktop Software to sync PC data.

It is currently unknown if Google will support sync with BlackBerry Tablet OS, but given Google’s track record of support for most popular mobile platforms, we would be surprised if Google didn’t have an offering for RIM’s tablets. CompanionLink supports sync of contacts and calendar from the PC to any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps account. Pending Google’s support for BlackBerry Tablet OS, CompanionLink will be able to provide an additional sync option for Playbook owners.

For now, this is all speculation. As we get closer to the launch date for the Playbook, more details will certainly emerge. An official announcement regarding CompanionLink’s sync support for the BlackBerry Playbook will be made as soon as we can confirm compatibility. Details on CompanionLink’s support for BlackBerry devices can be found at www.companionlink.com/blackberry

Initial impressions on sync support for Windows Phone 7

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Windows Phone 7, expected to release next month, is the next major smartphone platform from Microsoft. Windows Phone 7 is a complete operating system re-design, borrowing more from their Zune media players than their existing Windows Mobile 6.5 platform. The big question that we have here at CompanionLink is how Windows Phone 7 will sync with the PC.

A recent post from pocketnow.com details the current situation for Outlook sync with Windows Phone 7. Unlike the previous Windows Mobile 6.5 platform, Windows Phone 7 will not use Windows Mobile Device Center/Active Sync for direct PC-to-phone sync. Windows Phone 7 will use the Zune PC software to sync media, but for Outlook contacts, calendar and tasks, an Exchange server is required. While this presents no problem to large organizations with dedicated Exchange servers, standalone Outlook users are left out in the cold.

Both Gmail and Hotmail now offer free Exchange Active Sync support for most popular smartphone platforms. Thus, Windows Phone 7 should be compatible with both these services to sync contacts and calendar via Exchange (since Windows Phone 7 has not yet been released, this is educated speculation).

CompanionLink offers a solution that will sync Outlook contacts and calendar with any Gmail, Google, or Google Apps account. Once the data is synced with Google, supported smartphones can easily be configured to sync wirelessly with that Google account using the Exchange protocol. If Windows Phone 7 can sync with Google, as indicated by initial impressions, then CompanionLink will be able to offer support for Windows Phone 7 upon launch.

An official announcement regarding CompanionLink’s support for Windows Phone 7 will be released soon pending our testing of the platform. Look for announcements on our homepage at www.companionlink.com

CompanionLink Supports Sync with Sage ACT! 2011

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Sync with Sage ACT! 2011CompanionLink supports two-way sync of Sage ACT! 2011 contacts, calendar activities, opportunities, to-dos, contact notes and histories with the latest smartphones and tablet devices. For a one-time cost of $69.95, you can a have complete, two-way sync system set up for your ACT! database.

Sage ACT! 2011 introduces a built-in sync feature with Outlook contacts and calendar. We encourage you to try that. If your needs for Outlook sync demand more, CompanionLink has offered a solution for the past 10 years — supporting Outlook 2000 and higher (including Outlook 2010 32- and 64-bit). CompanionLink can handle many fringe cases — recurring appointments, appointments with exceptions, etc.

Plus, CompanionLink offers free technical support. For more information and to download a free 14-day trial, visit www.companionlink.com/act

Sync the Dell Aero with your PC

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The latest Android phone to launch in the US is the lightweight Dell Aero. The Aero offers business professionals a compact device that’s easy to carry anywhere. With CompanionLink, users can sync the Dell Aero with Outlook, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes, ACT!, and other PC contact managers. CompanionLink’s sync with the Aero allows users to sync, view and edit contacts, calendar, tasks and notes right from the device. Changes made on the Aero will sync back to the PC.

CompanionLink offers two methods to sync with the Dell Aero – direct USB sync and wireless sync through Google. USB sync with the Aero works with DejaOffice, CompanionLink’s suite of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes apps for Android. For more info on CompanionLink’s sync solutions for the Dell Aero, and to download a 14-day free trial, visit www.companionlink.com/phones/dell-aero.html

CompanionLink supports sync with the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and other BlackBerry 6 OS devices

Posted on by Andy Sheragy
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Last week, RIM launched the BlackBerry Torch 9800 with the newest revision of the BlackBerry platform, BlackBerry 6 OS. CompanionLink supports sync with the BlackBerry Torch using one of three methods: direct USB sync, wireless sync through Google, and automatic handsfree sync using CompanionLink’s secure wireless service.Visit www.companionlink.com/torch for more info on how to sync the BlackBerry Torch 9800 with ACT!, Lotus Notes, Outlook Business Contacts Manager, GoldMine, Palm Desktop and more.

USB sync with the BlackBerry Torch works in tandem with RIM’s BlackBerry Desktop Software. With the Torch launch last week, RIM also launched a new version of the desktop software, BlackBerry Desktop 6. The new Blackberry Desktop 6 changed some underlying core functionality, which caused most 3rd party add-ins, including CompanionLink, to break. We scrambled to quickly find a fix, and our awesome development team got things quickly working again for all our BlackBerry users. If you use CompanionLink with any BlackBerry, visit www.companionlink.com/bb6 for the latest information regarding BlackBerry Desktop 6.

DejaOffice recommended among top Android productivity apps by industry analyst Jeff Vance

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Datamation published an article written by IT analyst Jeff Vance highlighting the top smartphone apps for mobile productivity. Jeff recommends the DejaOffice app as a great way to keep contacts and calendar events organized. The app allows advanced features like linking contacts to calendar events and creating categories.

DejaOffice is a contact-manager app suite with modules for calendar, contacts, tasks and notes. It is currently available at no cost for Android, iPhone and iPad.

You can read the full article here, and find more information about DejaOffice at www.dejaoffice.com

DejaOffice - Link your Contacts to a Calendar event

CompanionLink and BlackBerry Desktop Software 6

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Last week, RIM released the new Version 6 of their BlackBerry Desktop Software, used to synchronize BlackBerry devices via a USB cable with Compatible PC software. CompanionLink extends support to many other PC applications by functioning as an add-in within the BlackBerry Desktop software. The problem is that upon release of Blackberry Desktop Software 6, all 3rd party add-in support was seemingly non-existent. Many users reported problems with a wide variety of add-ins, not just CompanionLink. The problem was further aggravated by the fact that uninstalling version 6 and reverting back to (stable) version 5 still left add-in support broken.

We have been working tirelessly since the release of the Blackberry Desktop Software 6 find a fix for the many users who depend on CompanionLink to sync their PC data to their BlackBerry devices. Our development team deserves a high-five for their tenacity, as we are proud to announce the immediate availability of the CompanionLink 4 BETA (build 4007) with support for BlackBerry Desktop Software 6.

To learn more and download the beta, visit www.companionlink.com/bb6

The Motorola DROID 2 is here – Sync the DROID 2 with Outlook using CompanionLink

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The Motorola DROID 2, available today, is the next big Android phone to land here in the US. It follows on the heels of the original Motorola DROID, one of the top selling Android devices thus far. New owners looking to sync the DROID 2 with their PCs have few options. Google provides the free Google Calendar Sync tool to sync the primary Outlook calendar with any Google account. The Motorola DROID 2 has built-in support to sync contacts and calendar with a Google account through its wireless data connection. However, this solution is limited to only the primary Outlook calendar, and no support for contacts or other data types, such as tasks and notes.

CompanionLink offers two ways to sync the DROID 2 with Outlook – wired USB sync and wireless sync through Google. CompanionLink’s wireless sync via Google supports two-way sync of contacts and calendar, and offers the ability to sync multiple Outlook folders. CompanionLink can also sync Outlook tasks to the Google calendar as untimed entries. CompanionLink’s USB sync with DROID 2 works in conjuction with an Android app called DejaOffice. DejaOffice is a contact manager application suite with modules for contacts, calendar, tasks and notes, with support for advanced features such as categories. Outlook data will sync to the DejaOffice business apps for the DROID 2.

CompanionLink’s sync solutions for the DROID 2 start at $39.95. Free technical support is included. More information, along with a 14-day free trial of the software can be found at www.companionlink.com/droid2

DejaOffice 1.6.2 Released

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CompanionLink is proud to announce DejaOffice 1.6.2 for Android. DejaOffice, a suite of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes apps for Android, adds the following new productivity features in version 1.6.2:

  • Create and edit recurring calendar events on the device
  • Full integration with the native Android contacts and calendar apps with specific account selection
  • Tap-and-hold context menus to access on-the-fly search, sort and display options
  • Audible calendar and task alarms using the Android notification system
  • Faster internal sync process
  • Full support for Android 2.2 “Froyo”

Read the full press release here, then get DejaOffice free in the Android Market. Visit www.dejaoffice.com for more info.

Video – How to Sync Android with Outlook via USB using CompanionLink 4.0

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Earlier this week we posted a new video showing you how to sync Outlook with Android via Google. Today we have another new video, this time showing you how to sync Outlook with Android direct over secure USB using the new CompanionLink 4.0. CompanionLink’s USB sync with Android works in tandem with DejaOffice, a suite of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes apps for Android-powered devices.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl7HkRSQbgg]

If you need additional help using DejaOffice, visit the Classroom at www.dejaoffice.com/classroom

Master DejaOffice for Apple with the DejaOffice Classroom

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Class is in session! The DejaOffice Classroom is now open for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. DejaOffice is a business-class suite of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes apps for Apple and Android devices. The Classroom offers a complete walkthrough guide, tips & tricks, and tutorials with accompanying screenshots on how to perform common tasks in DejaOffice. Whether you’re new to DejaOffice or a seasoned pro, you’re sure to find something useful in the Classroom. To see exactly how to turn your iPhone or Android into a powerful business tool, head on over!

www.dejaoffice.com/classroom

How to Sync BlackBerry with Outlook 2010 – Video

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5g4wKaJGNo]

Many users have been reporting that they’re having trouble synchronizing their BlackBerry devices with Outlook 2010. CompanionLink offers multiple solutions to sync BlackBerry with Outlook 2010; both 32-bit and 64-bit editions are fully supported. For more information on how to sync Outlook 2010 with BlackBerry devices, visit www.companionlink.com/blackberry