Category Archives: Mobile Productivity

Google Calendar Sync alternative

Posted on by Rushang
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Update: Click here for the latest on Google Calendar Sync

Google discontinued distribution of their free Google Calendar Sync tool last week. This affects people who need to sync Outlook calendar with Google calendar. Google’s announcement left many people clamoring for a Google Calendar Sync alternative.

CompanionLink has a Google Calendar Sync alternative for $14.95, CompanionLink for Google synchronizes Outlook calendars, contacts, tasks, categories, and contact photos with Gmail and Google Apps accounts. You can install CompanionLink on three computers for  $14.95. Free US-based phone support and software updates are included.

Like a true Google Calendar Sync alternative, CompanionLink can be set up for automatic sync between Outlook and Google on a 5-minute timer. CompanionLink runs in your system tray on your PC desktop and will synchronize changes between Outlook and Google.  Outlook 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2013 are fully supported, in addition to Outlook Business Contact Manager 2007 and 2010.

Palm OS on your Android, iPhone and iPad? Not exactly, but we have the next best thing.

Posted on by Rushang
2

It’s amazing how simple and effective Palm and Treo handhelds were for managing contacts, calendar, tasks, and memos. Little things like Categories for Business and Personal, creating appointments with a minimum number of screen taps, and being able to hide memos using a password were great productivity features for power users and business professionals. To top it off, Palm Desktop was among the most lightweight PIM tools ever.

We tried to capture this focus on productivity and efficiency in our DejaOffice app for Android and iOS. The app gives you Palm-like features on the current generation of Android, iPhone, and iPad devices.

We took it one step further by allowing integration of DejaOffice with tools like Palm Desktop, Outlook, ACT! and Lotus Notes. For Android devices, you get to choose whether you want DejaConnect USB sync like the old HotSync model, or if you want DejaCloud sync where your devices and desktop are automatically kept in sync via the cloud. CompanionLink desktop software and DejaOffice app has you covered for productivity and two-ways synchronization. The beauty is that DejaOffice works for all Android and iOS devices.

Must-know guide for moving from BlackBerry to iPhone

Posted on by Rushang
2

This guide helps you move email, calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes from BlackBerry to an iOS device like iPhone or iPad

Email

iPhone’s email app supports the most popular email accounts – Exchange, IMAP, POP3, iCloud, Yahoo!, AOL, Hotmail, and Google/Gmail.  If you use an email service not listed above and need to find incoming/outgoing server details to set up IMAP, do a Google search for your service’s name followed by “IMAP settings”.

Contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes

You can use one free app to move all of this data.  CompanionLink has software that will sync your complete Outlook data with categories with iPhone.

Step 1: Use BlackBerry Desktop Software to backup your BlackBerry data to Microsoft Outlook.

Step 2: Download a free 14-day trial of CompanionLink for Outlook to your PC. Configure it to sync Outlook to iPhone using the CL Secure Hosted Wireless service. It’s completely free during the 14-day trial period. You will be prompted to buy if you wish to continue synchronizing after the trial expires. Licenses start at $14.95.

Step 3: Click the Sync button in CompanionLink and watch your Outlook data move to your iPhone.

Get it right the first time by hiring a professional to do it for you

CompanionLink offers a $49 service where a migration expert will log into your PC and move your data to your iPhone.  The service is called RunStart.

If you have any questions about moving to the iPhone platform, email us at sales@companionlink.com.

Must-know guide for moving from BlackBerry to Android

Posted on by Rushang
3

Business professionals cannot afford to lose data during a move to Android.  This guide helps you reliably move email, business relationships, calendar agenda, to-do lists, notes, and text messages from BlackBerry to any Android phone or tablet.

Email

Android’s email app supports Exchange, IMAP, POP3, and Google/Gmail accounts.  This lets you to set up virtually any email service.  Here is a basic guide to set up email on Android.  If you need incoming/outgoing server details about your specific email service, do a Google search for your service’s name followed by “IMAP settings”.

Here are settings for some popular email services:
Yahoo! – https://mobile.yahoo.com/mail/android (click on the IMAP tab)
AOL – https://email.about.com/od/accessingaolmail/f/AOL_Mail_IMAP_Settings.htm
Hotmail – https://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/hotmail/mobile?t1=t4

Contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes

You can use one free app to move all of this data.  CompanionLink has software that will sync Outlook with Android.

Step 1: Use BlackBerry Desktop Software to backup your BlackBerry data to Microsoft Outlook.

Step 2: Download a free 14-day trial of CompanionLink for Outlook to your PC. Configure it to sync Outlook to Android using the DejaCloud service. Here is how your setup should look when configured correctly.  (If you want to continue synchronizing Android with Outlook after the 14-day trial is over, you can buy a license for $14.95.)

Step 3: Click the Sync button in CompanionLink and watch your Outlook data move to your Android.

Text messages

David Hope has developed a free tool that moves SMS text messages from BlackBerry to Android.  The tool is available at https://hope.mx/blackberry2droid.

Get it right the first time by hiring a professional to do it for you

CompanionLink offers a $49 service where a migration expert will log into your PC and move your data from BlackBerry to Android.  The service is called RunStart and has been used by hundreds of business professionals to safely move their data to Android without data corruption or data loss.

If you have any questions about moving to the Android platform, email us at sales@companionlink.com.

Hacked clouds

Posted on by Rushang
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Steve Wozniak predicts that the Cloud is going to be a “horrendous” place in the near future. We tend to agree, if Woz is referring to large players in the cloud market who attract ire.

Amazon, Apple, Dropbox, and Google have all been in the news cycle this week due to hacked or breached data that is stored in their secure clouds. The only Goliath spared the doom and gloom is, ironically, Microsoft. Mat Honan’s situation has become the talk of the town. But for every Honan, there are many others whose cloud security plight doesn’t reach mainstream news.

With this week’s dust-up, it’s clear that while the marketing departments at each of these companies want you to believe that you own your data and everything is meticulously watched-after, what they really mean is anyone with half a brain can own your account and data if a few security questions are answered correctly to a customer service “specialist” who also happens to be a college student. (No offense against college students.)

None of this is new. Hacked clouds and online security breaches have been happening since Salesforce.com made “cloud” armchair language. However, the more dust that flies due to breaches, the harder it becomes for business decision makers to move their enterprises to the cloud. Imagine how many companies were close to migrating their enterprise to the cloud last week, only to have pulled the reigns and wait for a better day when they can look their customers in the eye.

What we need is the emergence of private clouds that are not run by the Goliaths who have a financially vested interest to mine, sell, advertise, or otherwise disclose your data.

Small private turnkey clouds are too mundane to catch the ire of hackers. Think of the Windows OS virus magnet compared to the fledgling Mac OS X in the early days. Fewer hackers went after OS X because Apple wasn’t Goliath (oh the irony) and didn’t have the aura of world dominance. Our society thrives on small underdogs who fight to provide a more honest experience to people.

Where are the honest private clouds?

Business features of Palm OS on your Android

Posted on by Rushang
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The Verge recently did an excellent write-up on StyleTap’s app that emulates Palm OS on Android devices.  CompanionLink pays much reverence to Palm OS because we got our start with that platform.  However, we’re a strong fan of adopting the new Android OS instead of fighting it.

Bringing business features from Palm OS to Android

Palm OS had simple and functional capabilities for business contact management, calendar scheduling, task management, and note-taking.  We have developed a PalmOS-like business PIM/CRM app for Android.  It’s called DejaOffice and is currently available for free on the Google Play store.  The existence of DejaOffice is rooted in transforming Android devices into business CRM tools that mirror the simplicity and functional themes of Palm OS.  As topping on the cake, we wish to also take advantage of the powerful features of today’s smartphones (GPS, location awareness, etc.).

More info on DejaOffice available at www.dejaoffice.com.

Why we can’t sync Windows Phone 7 via USB (Yet)

Posted on by Andy Sheragy
6

Edit note:  CompanionLink can now synchronize with USB and Windows Phones.

CompanionLink has a long history of offering direct sync with all major smartphone platforms including Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Palm webOS, and the previous Microsoft Windows Mobile platform. When Windows Phone 7 was announced, we jumped to be the first to offer PIM synchronization for the platform.

Unfortunately, we discovered there is no way to interface with the device using USB protocol. Also, we lack the necessary app permissions to write contacts, calendar, tasks and notes to the device. Double-whammy; our hands are tied in two ways. Unfortunately, this means that CompanionLink, as well as any other third-party developers, won’t be able to offer direct sync to the Windows Phone platform until the tools are provided.

We’ve asked Microsoft about this issue, but have not yet received a reply. It’s possible Microsoft may open more options for developers in the future. We eagerly await that day!

The World In Sync [Infographic]

Posted on by David Z
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Did you know that every two days as much data is created as was created since the dawn of civilization until 2003?

With that much data out there, it’s no surprise that sync has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Whether it’s keeping your emails synced across devices, sending a file via Dropbox, or keeping up with your business by syncing your contacts, calendars, tasks, and more with CompanionLink, sync is nearly everywhere.

Take a look at the infographic below to see just how prevalent sync is in our everyday lives! Then, let us know what you sync in the comments below.

 

Android + Chrome OS: The Next Step in Mobile Computing?

Posted on by David Z
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We’ve talked about this before on our blog, but I felt it bears repeating as it inches closer to reality. In a post over at Droid-Life, we can see what the future of mobile computing might look like, from the Android perspective…

“…a good first step to resolving these problems with notifications and making lapdock and deskdock form factors useful would be to use Chrome OS. I think there will always be a place for a mouse and keyboard form factor because touch doesn’t always make sense. As computing continues to become more mobile and as technology improves, we may eventually be able to have one device that connects to different form factors.”

Read the full article over at Droid-Life, then swing back by our blog to share your thoughts in the comments!

How To Use Siri To Set Up Business Meetings In Outlook, ACT!, & More

Posted on by David Z
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Just the other day, Apple revealed their latest iteration of the iPhone – the iPhone 4S. One of the biggest new features comes in the form of Siri, Apple’s self-described “humble personal assistant.” Using voice recognition technology, Siri is able to take verbal commands and act on them, allowing you to check and compose messages, emails, calendar appointments, and much more.

Image Credit: TUAW

Currently, Siri is designed to work with Apple’s built in apps – it’s not clear if or when the technology will be opened up to third party developers. However, DejaOffice has the unique ability to connect with Apple’s built in apps. As such, DejaOffice is able to harness the full power of Siri and sync new or updated data back to your existing CRM solution.

Doing so is simple. First, you’ll need to ensure that DejaOffice is set to sync with the native databases. To do this, just launch DejaOffice on your iPhone 4S, tap “Settings,” then “Sync.” From there, select “Sync with Apple’s Calendar” and “Sync with Apple’s Contacts” to enable syncing with the native databases.

Once that’s enabled, press and hold the home button on your iPhone 4S to activate Siri. Say something like “Schedule lunch with John Smith at noon on Friday” and Siri will comply. The next time you sync DejaOffice via CompanionLink, that appointment will be transferred into Outlook, ACT!, Salesforce, or whatever CRM solution you’re using. It’s that easy!

Understanding Android Contacts [Infographic]

Posted on by David Z
18

Confused about how Android Contacts and Accounts work?  We’ve created an infographic that helps explain the chaos!

Update: Now that Motorola’s DROID RAZR and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus (featuring the next generation of Android – Ice Cream Sandwich) have been announced, this infographic is even more relevant. These two phones are sure to draw many users over to Android for the first time!

Coming to Android from a “feature phone,” a BlackBerry, or even iOS, there are a number of new features to get used to. One aspect that we’ve seen a lot of uncertainty about is exactly how Contacts work on Android.

As such, we’ve created an infographic to help visualize how Android Contacts work and hopefully eliminate some of the confusion. Check it out below:

(Click the graphic for a larger version)

Android Contacts Infographic

Zoho vs. Salesforce – A Quick Guide on How to Decide

Posted on by David Z
12

If you’ve been searching for an online CRM solution, there’s no doubt you’ve come across both Zoho and Salesforce. Initially, they are hard to compare – the pricing is vastly different and neither of them offer any sort of comparison chart. After some research, however, you’ll begin to notice some clear similarities and differences.

As far as the basic components of CRM are concerned, both Zoho and Salesforce offer what any user will need. Accounts, contacts, campaigns, Outlook and Office integration, collaboration tools, etc. are found in both services. And, of course, CompanionLink works great with either Zoho or Salesforce! So how do you decide which is right for you? Let us help by highlighting the unique benefits each service offers.

Zoho: Affordable, Quick, Easy

The most obvious benefit Zoho has to offer is its pricing. At $12 or $25 per user per month, it’s $100 less than Salesforce’s most popular offering. Zoho even offers a free version for users who need a very simple CRM solution.

Of course, price isn’t the only benefit Zoho offers. Zoho is designed to be quick and easy, allowing even the smallest businesses to jump in and get started right away. Zoho also offers integration with their complete suite of Zoho Apps, providing access to chat, docs, invoicing, projects, meetings, and much more.

In the end, you’ll want to look into Zoho if you’re a small to medium business looking for a full-featured, yet affordable CRM solution.

Salesforce: Powerful, Customizable, Expandable

Salesforce generally gets accused of being more expensive than Zoho or other CRM options. With its most popular edition going for $125 per user per month, this may seem to be the case. However, Salesforce accounts start at just $5 per user per month for their more basic CRM solution.

That said, most users generally opt for one of the higher priced plans. The question then becomes, “What do I get for my money?” In addition to all the benefits you’d expect from a CRM service, Salesforce offers the ability to customize your experience via custom apps and websites, a developer sandbox, and integration via a web services API. All that may sound a bit technical, but it essentially means that, with a little technical know-how, you can make Salesforce do exactly what you need it to do for your specific setup. To make customization even easier, Salesforce hosts a cloud-computing marketplace called AppExchange where you can find over 1,000 different apps that will help make Salesforce work for your setup!

Generally speaking, if you’re a medium to large business with custom CRM needs, Salesforce is a great option.

Hopefully this has helped narrow your search. In our experience, there isn’t a bad choice here.