New Outlook app is Great for Email, but not the Full Outlook Experience Yet

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Rushang

This is a live document and we will update as we learn more about the new Outlook app.

Summary; TLDR

Hit: supports popular cloud email services and file storage
Hit: beautiful email UI for email, customizable swipe settings
Hit: intelligent “snooze” feature on email
~~Miss: does not support all business IMAP accounts like desktop Outlook does~~
- February 16 app update adds support for generic IMAP accounts
Miss: no support for Outlook Contacts, Tasks, Notes
Miss: no Category support for PIM organization
Miss: major security hole by storing email credentials and data in a temporary server

The new Outlook app, a fruition of Microsoft’s acquisition of Acompli, brings renewed hope for Outlook users. The fresh UI and robust compatibility with the popular email services rightfully warrants the 4-star review Microsoft is currently earning. Contrast that to the 2.5-star showing of Microsoft’s prior horse in the race, the app regrettably known as OWA for iPhone.

However, the “Outlook” portion of the name of the app is a bit over-reaching. There are two main reasons for this.

Outlook on the desktop does email, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, and categories. The Outlook app does email and calendar. Perhaps the rest is coming in short order.
Outlook on the desktop allows you set up any IMAP or POP account. The Outlook app only allows EAS, Outlook.com, Google, Yahoo, and iCloud accounts. The rest of the business world that uses a private email provider with their desktop Outlook isn’t invited to the dance hosted by the new Outlook app. (Update 2/2015: an app update now allows you to add generic IMAP email accounts.)

Hits

Email never felt this good. Acompli’s reputation prior to their acquisition was for a sexy email client that could blend all of your popular emails services into one app. Multi-account support works beautifully, and their Focused vs. All filters to put an emphasis on email productivity by showing important email and hiding newsletters and other repetitive communications for later viewing. Also, the ability to swipe to Schedule an email to reappear in the Inbox in a few hours or a time of your choosing lets you quickly consolidate your morning inbox so you address only important emails. A very nifty feature!

Misses

Security is the big hole for the Outlook app, as discovered by Rene Winkelmeyer. The hole has always existed when the code base was owned by Acompli. The ire is that people expected Microsoft to fix this security hole before releasing under the Outlook brand.

In short, email account credentials and data are stored on Microsoft’s servers for a “temporary” time frame. This allows the Outlook app to do fancy things like snooze email. However, it also means your email and potentially other PIM information like appointments and recent contacts are privy to Microsoft. I sense an ulcer developing for folks who care about corporate security, HIPAA, and other initiatives aimed at protecting our data.

The app also doesn’t match features found in desktop Outlook.

Contacts make a guest appearance through the limited functionality of the People section in the app. Instead of a real contact list, you are given a list of recently used email addresses. There is no contact manager that holds your records, and you cannot add/update contacts, address, and phone numbers from your device. This is likely due to the fact that email services like Google and Yahoo are not EAS servers. They rely on IMAP, whose protocol isn’t fundamentally designed to handle PIM info like Contact details. EAS, on the other hand, was designed for this. It’s surprising that even EAS accounts in the new Outlook app doesn’t handle Contacts.

Outlook Tasks do not exist. Many business users rely on a task list to coordinate their priorities or implement productivity systems like Getting Things Done or Franklin Covey. Without a task list, users of this Outlook app cannot manage their priorities on the go.

Outlook Notes also don’t make an appearance.

The must-have Outlook Category feature does not exist. Desktop Outlook users rely on categories to organize their daily agenda by appointment type. Without this, business and personal appointments are indistinguishable in the calendar view.

How to sync Outlook between two computers

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Rushang

DejaCloud is a private sync service offered by CompanionLink. It can keep data from Outlook PST files synchronized between two or more PCs.

If you work with multiple PCs, such as a work laptop and home desktop, you are acutely aware of the frustrations of keeping your Outlook information synchronized between computers. Short of the painful process of exporting and importing Outlook PST files (.pst), you have a couple of paid options that can automate the process. The time and headache you save, not to mention the luxury of working from any PC or Mac, may be worth your investment. Below, we discuss two convenient options that anyone can try. Both options reviewed have a trial period so you can set it up before you purchase.

Option 1 – $150/user per year for Office 365 Business Premium

Purchase an Office 365 subscription that offers Exchange ActiveSync (EAS). This is what Microsoft’s web page calls “Business class email, calendar, and contacts”. EAS keeps email, calendar, and contacts synchronized. Make sure your Outlook clients on both PCs are set up to use the same EAS account.

Option 2 – $60/user per year for CompanionLink

CompanionLink for Outlook is a PC app that does not require EAS technology. It installs on PCs running Outlook and is configured to sync data through a service called DejaCloud. It will keep contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, journal, and categories synchronized between Outlook on two PCs. CompanionLink does not handle email, which you can instead configure separately using your email provider’s IMAP settings. IMAP is a protocol to keep email synchronized across multiple PCs and devices.

CompanionLink’s app installs on both of your PCs and is configured to use a proprietary DejaCloud account to keep data synchronized. This allows you to see/edit appointments or add/update contacts right in the Outlook client of each PC. Changes are then automatically synchronized to the other PC by the DejaCloud service running silently in the background.

Outlook to Outlook sync configuration for CompanionLink

Download the CompanionLink app on the two PCs you wish to sync. The free 14-day trial is available here.
In CompanionLink Settings, choose the DejaCloud Sync option. You will create a DejaCloud account the first time you do this. Note the username and password.
Configure CompanionLink on the second PC with the same DejaCloud account you created in Step 2.

The sync will start automatically in a few minutes. You can make changes to Outlook data on either computer and watch that change propagate to the other PC.

What about Outlook for Mac?

CompanionLink also includes a Mac product with every purchase. Called CompanionLink for Mac, you can install it on your Mac and keep Outlook for Mac 2011 and the recently announced Outlook for Mac 15 synchronized with Outlook on your PCs. This lets you set up mixed environment (ie – work uses a PC while you have a Mac at home) for the cost of just one subscription to CompanionLink’s DejaCloud service.

If you have any questions, you can email or call our support team or leave a comment below.

The Ultimate Outlook Sync for Santa’s Phone and Tablet

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Rushang

PRESS RELEASE BY COMPANIONLINK SOFTWARE, INC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Advanced features like category management that supports Outlook color-coding, handling of Outlook custom fields, and sort options for Outlook’s File-As field, offer a complete two-way sync utility with the most secure and direct sync options.

DejaOffice, the #1 independent Outlook sync app for Android^® and iOS^®, offers complete two-way synchronization for Microsoft^® Outlook^® calendar, tasks, notes, contacts, categories, and journal entries. It supports all the latest phones and tablets that Santa has delivered this holiday season.

Available for Android since 2008, DejaOffice is designed for Outlook power-users who cannot afford to shortcut support of key Outlook data. DejaOffice holds important Outlook contact details that are missing in the native Phone apps such as custom fields, multiple email addresses, and full contact notes. Advanced features like Private memos, Calendar templates, Location and Date pickers make DejaOffice uniquely convenient for people who want to integrate their mobile schedule with their PC Office.

“There is a huge gap between Desktop PC programs like Microsoft Outlook and the native phone list and calendar on Android and iOS devices,” says Wayland Bruns, CTO for CompanionLink Software. “The DejaOffice App spans the gap and brings the Outlook contact, calendar, and task management experience to phones and tablets. Business professionals do not want a lite version of Outlook on their phones; they demand complete client information, notes and history of interactions, and desktop schedule management features on a mobile form factor.”

A visual tour of the many advanced Outlook features in DejaOffice can be found at www.dejaoffice.com/tour.html. DejaOffice is a free app on Google Play marketplace. CompanionLink’s synchronization software starts at $14.95 per user and can be found at www.companionlink.com/android/outlook. Reviewed by leading journals like USAToday.com and Forbes.com, CompanionLink’s apps have proven over time to be the most complete sync utility for those who demand the full Outlook experience on their Android.

Top 10 business productivity apps to start 2015 efficiently

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Rushang

Business professionals are always looking for ways to save time or make better use of it. Professionals seek to maximize productivity both inside and outside the office. Productivity apps that aim to get them to this holy grail number in the thousands. The challenge is in applying the Pareto Principle; find the 20% of apps that will improve productivity by 80%.

Productivity apps generally fall under the following categories: storage, calendars, email management, notes, tasks, contacts, follow-ups, documents, and remote deskop access. Apps that shine tend to be those that are efficient and a pleasure to use for every day actions like completing tasks on the go, organizing clients notes, sharing documents. These efficiencies give professionals a competitive advantage.

A recent productivity survey from smartphone provider BlackBerry Limited and research firm GfK found 69 percent of smartphone users are “constantly looking for new ways to get things done as efficiently as possible,” and 67 percent also said they are looking to improve their productivity.

Researchers also note the perception towards smartphones has changed. The majority of survey respondents said they now believe smartphones give them the flexibility to work when and where they want, and can help free up time.

“Smartphones have made a major impact on the way we conduct business and communicate with friends and family, driving our ambitions to be productive in order to change the way we contribute to work, our communities and society,” John Chen, CEO of BlackBerry, said in a prepared statement.

But which apps are the most efficient in helping professionals with their daily actions? Here are 10 productivity apps that every business professional should know about.

OmniFocus (task management)

OmniFocus offers mobile task management. They use “Perspectives” to help people analyze their work and get it done quickly and efficiently. Each OmniFocus Perspective is designed for a specific reason (planning, checking on upcoming tasks, etc.) and brings the most relevant information to the forefront by focusing on folders and projects that business professionals need to see at any given time. The app can be used to track tasks by date, place, person or project. OminFocus ensures professionals balance life and work by helping them stay on top of projects and goals.

Evernote (note-taking)

Create a collaborative hub for team brainstorming, organize your notes, or save snippets from webpages with Evernote. This is among the most popular Notes and Organization apps. Evernote offers a single workspace that can be accessed from any location at any time. By keeping all documents, presentations and photos close at hand, the app makes it easy for people to work remotely, give presentations that were created in the office, and collaborate with their teams.

“We love using Evernote in our business since it makes project management so much easier!” says CFO of UAV Adviser Amanda McKeown.

LogMeIn (remote desktop control)

Want to take your PC anywhere you go? Use the LogMeIn app on your smartphone or tablet to access and control your PC from anywhere you have a data connection. The app includes file management features that allow you to download files from the desktop. File transfer, file sharing and remote printing capabilities allow a remote worker can stay connected with their office from anywhere they have a data connection. Plus, LogMeIn offers 24/7 app phone support.

CloudOn (document-editing)

With great power comes great responsibility, especially for executives who use the CloudOn document-editing app. To date, 8 million registered CloudOn users have edited 85 million documents, thanks in part to the CloudOn app’s user-friendly design and interface. This simple yet powerful document editor features a gesture-first design that encourages users to tap, type, pinch and swipe to edit documents stored in the cloud or in emails. CloudOn also features a spacious interface with room to edit documents on the challenging form factor of smartphones.

CloudOn supports the ubiquitous-for-business Microsoft Word document format.

Google Drive (cloud storage)

Keep your files handy from any computer or mobile device with the Google Drive app. A professional can store their documents and presentations in the Google cloud, which can serve as a backup. This app also allows users to collaborate with peers on documents, and executives can invite co-workers to view, edit or leave comments on any files or folders that are stored in Google Drive.

Google Drive users start with 15 GB of free Google storage, so business professionals receive plenty of complimentary storage space for documents, files, folders and much more.

“Google Drive is a lifesaver. Before using Google Drive we had to use multiple services to achieve a fluent flow of information in our company, but Google Drive was a game changer.” shares Roger Lopez, COO of PEMF Advisor.

InFocus Pro (all-in-one suite)

Want a flexible app suite that will help you get organized? Check out InFocus Pro, an all-in-one productivity app suite that features:

Calendar
Checklist
Notes
Projects
To Do

InFocus Pro makes it easy for business professionals to create to-do lists, take notes and find better ways to manage projects – it even allows users to handwrite custom notes in any color they choose and includes a calendar that syncs with iCal, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar and other popular calendar programs.

Microsoft Office (document-editing)

The Microsoft Office app is a business user’s dream come true. It allows access to files stored on OneDrive, OneDrive for Business or SharePoint, and view and edit Office files, including those that are attached to emails. Learn more about SharePoint Migration Services, Hybrid Migration Office 365 and Azure WVD services available at cheapest Azure windows virtual desktop pricing. In addition, Word, Excel and PowerPoint have been optimized for smartphones, ensuring business professionals can view crystal-clear versions of files and make edits on their smartphones as needed.

DejaOffice (all-in-one productivity app suite)

Looking for a single app to hold all of your client data like Notes, Phone numbers, Emails, Tasks, Documents, Meetings, and CRM History? DejaOffice CRM holds all this data and connects with the most popular CRM and productivity systems like Salesforce CRM, Act!, Microsoft Outlook, IBM Lotus Notes, GoldMine, and Novell GroupWise.

DejaOffice holds the following CRM data in one integrated app:

Calendar
Contacts
Categories
Journal
Memos
Tasks
Documents and Images

This app offers advanced features that the built-in apps that ship with smartphones and tablets don’t have. Organize tasks, contacts, and calendar into color-coded categories, link calendar events to contacts and their documents, log outgoing phone calls as a history item under the contact, set task alerts, and much more. DejaOffice lets businesses manage CRM on their smartphones and tablets in an efficient and device-agnostic manner. The app is available for Android, iPhone and iPad, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry.

Dropbox (cloud storage)

There’s a reason 4 million businesses use Dropbox – this file backup, sync and sharing app lets users bring all their documents, photos and videos anywhere they go.

Dropbox provides easy-to-manage cloud storage that any busy executive will appreciate. Anything you add to Dropbox will automatically show in the Dropbox app on your smartphone, so travelling business professionals can access files from any device. Dropbox also makes it easy to share files, and since these files are safely stored in the cloud, executives never have to worry about losing them.

Lastly, Dropbox acts like a time machine that lets you undo mistakes and even undelete files.

“DropBox is one of the best apps for content creators like us. No matter how big or small our assets are, all we need to do is to upload it once and everybody in the company can use them” explains Eugene Bryant, CMO of VR Geeks. “

Things (task management)

Wait, you’ve never heard of Things? Well, this task management app can help any business professional become more productive in no time at all.

For example, Things allows executives to use tags to assign contexts, priorities, time and much more– whatever fits a business professional’s personal workflow. The app also is designed to make it simple for users to quickly filter a list to find relevant, time-sensitive tasks so they can complete them on schedule.

Things even enables business professionals to brainstorm on the go, as it features a Quick Entry window that they can use to record new ideas instantly and add tasks without interrupting their work.

Things stores all of an executive’s to-dos and updates them regularly, and with this app, business professionals can take a step-by-step approach to their daily tasks.

Are there any apps you feel should have made the list? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or on Twitter @companionlink.

How to sync Outlook Color Categories to iPhone 6

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Rushang

Current iPhone Outlook sync options simply don’t work for business professionals using a PC. Apple ships iTunes and iCloud as two ways to sync Microsoft Outlook with iPhone and iPad. The problem is neither product supports sync of Outlook Categories.

Why are categories important on phones?

Business users who have hundreds of contact records, notes, and appointment details need a way to organize info for quick lookup. Organization is inherent in their PC Outlook database courtesy of the Color Categories feature. Each category has a name and color in Outlook. This offers quick sort and view options on the PC.

But what about the iPhone and iPad?

CompanionLink solves this problem by mapping Outlook Color Categories to iOS devices. This means business users can rely on color recognition to view data on their iPhone or iPad. They can sort and view the device’s contact list the same way they did on the PC. They can assign categories as they create new Notes or Tasks on the device. These new items will sync back to the correct Outlook Category on their PC.

CompanionLink supports Outlook Categories for Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, and Journal. Outlook calendar alarms, task alerts, and contact photos also sync to iPhone and iPad. Basically, you get everything iTunes and iCloud offers with support for additional Outlook data like Categories and Alarms. This is a perfect paid utility for business users who need to organize hundreds of Outlook records on their phone.

How Outlook categories on iPhone look

How Outlook Categories look on iPhone

You have two options to view Outlook categories on your iPhone: use our DejaOffice mobile app or use the phone’s Contacts app. There are pros/cons to each approach.

CompanionLink relies on our DejaOffice iPhone app to store Outlook data on the device. Our app is designed for a one-to-one map with Outlook fields, which is why we can handle more Outlook data than iPhone’s Contacts app.

If, however, you prefer to use iPhone’s Contact app, you have that option. Go to Settings > Sync > Sync to native iPhone Contacts. This will create and transfer DejaOffice Outlook Categories to the iPhone’s Contacts app as Groups. You can then use the Contacts app to view your rolodex by Group (which is Apple’s name for Category).

Click here for more information about Outlook iPhone sync.

iHotsync USB – direct sync with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Rushang

We’d like to introduce iHotsync USB, our newest direct sync technology for iOS devices. It synchronizes all the data iTunes and iCloud handles as well as Categories, Notes, Tasks, and Contact Photos. Our iHotsync USB works like the reliable utility with a similar name from the days of PalmPilot. You can sync PIM data from PC apps like Microsoft Outlook, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes, Act!, and many others.

Security took priority when designing iHotsync.
1. Connect your iPhone to the PC using the Lightening USB cable.
2. Tap Sync in the DejaOffice iOS app that comes with CompanionLink.

A complete setup guide is available here. A list of fields and benefits that iHotsync supports beyond the fields supported by iTunes and iCloud is available here.

iHotsync does not require iTunes, nor does it transfer or store your data in iCloud.

Carrier Policies for Unlocking Devices

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Rushang

Many people will be selling their current Android or iPhone device to make room (and cash) for the new iPhone and Android Phone. An unlocked unit will earn more money on sites like Gazelle that pay cash for your old phone or in the private market.

Here are links to the Device Unlock Policy for each major US carrier.

AT&T: click here.
T-Mobile: click here.
Sprint: click here.
Verizon: click here.
O2 (UK Carrier): click here.
Virgin Mobile (USA): click here.

A Cheatsheet of iPhone 6 Plus Features for Business Users

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Rushang

Here’s a list of iPhone 6 Plus features announced by Apple today that directly impacts or improves productivity for business users.

Bigger screens mean more readable content. The iPhone 6 Plus has 1920×1080 resolution to fit more lines of information. Apple offered a great side-by-side visual that shows how much more content is visible on iPhone 6 Plus compared to iPhone 6. [Image source: iphonehacks.com]
More battery life means fewer intra-day trips to the outlet. Traveling sales people are free to use their GPS without fear of their battery dying by mid day. The iPhone 6 Plus offers 12 hours of LTE browsing (2 more hours than iPhone 6) and 16 hours of standby (6 more hours than iPhone 6). Here’s a chart comparing battery capacity from the keynote. [Source: iphonehacks.com]
Wider keyboard layout with more keys means the iPhone 6 Plus will be a business user’s device of choice for an easier typing experience. (This does beg the question – does the iPhone 6 Plus cannibalize iPad mini sales?) The extra keys offered comprise of an important tap-saving group: cut and paste, highlight, undo, bold, and common punctuation; period, comma, question mark, and exclamation mark. These keys will save business users from tapping and dragging pins for copy/paste, and from long-pressing the Shift key to access punctuation and rich markup. [Image source: WCCFtech.com]
The iPhone 6 Plus’s dual-pane view for email, scheduling, and messaging is godsend. Email will undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary as you will never have to swipe Back to see the email list.
Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE hold promise for mobile warriors who journey to areas with shaky cell connectivity. Hop in a cafe or restaurant that offers Wi-Fi and you are free to make calls. Of course, TBD is whether carriers need to update their towers to support this. (If anyone has more info about this, please chime in under the Comments section for everyone to benefit.) The consumer crowd really benefits by not requiring peak-hour cellular minutes to place/receive calls. I sense mobile carriers already dusting off their business plans to make daytime minutes unlimited.
NFC and Apple Pay will make carrying personal and business desirable and a breeze. Business people will no longer have to use their personal card and then remember to credit their business account. The NFC ecosystem looks like an infrastructure-intense endeavor and one that will take time for the world to adopt. However, Apple has added (significantly) more water to the NFC seeds already harvesting. We know how this story ends for the famed plastic rectangle we love so dearly.
Repeatedly mentioned during the keynote was the phrase “optimizations for one-hand use”. It appears Apple was bent on promoting the fact that they optimized their 5.5-inch offering for one-hand use. I must see this to believe it; but it sounds great! More details about this will arrive as people get their devices on September 19.

The real story behind today’s keynote is that Apple is heeding the call for larger screens by an audience (viz. business users) that is willing to pay for features that make their workday easier. While Apple is a consumer-driven organization, larger screens directly benefit business professionals in a way that is tangible to productivity.

USAToday.com recommends CompanionLink as the replacement for Google Calendar to Outlook Calendar integration

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Rushang

Googlepocalypse on August 1 was a major setback for many. USAToday.com tech columnist Rob Pegoraro recommended CompanionLink as the go-to replacement for the sunset Google Calendar Sync utility.

I’d look at the $50 CompanionLink (its developers have been doing Google sync tools since the days of Palm handhelds, and other software from the company can sync directly from Outlook to Android)…

CompanionLink is the most affordable 3rd-party solution when you take into account installation on multiple PCs (up to 3), free updates, and free technical support by phone and email.

Here are the top 11 reasons people have turned to CompanionLink since 2006 for Google Calendar sync:

Sync contacts, calendar, tasks, and categories with one app
Supports Office 365, Outlook 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000
Free US-based technical support by phone and email
Map Outlook Categories to multiple Google Calendars
Works with Outlook folders or subfolders
Supports Exchange setups with Public Folders
Works with any free Gmail or Google account and Google Apps accounts
Automatic sync
One license allows installation on 3 PCs
90-day money-back guarantee
Supporting Google Calendar sync since 2006

CompanionLink is available as an unlimited trial for 2 weeks. Purchase options include a one-time license for $39.95 after discount. Enter ALTGCS in the Affinity Code field to get the $10 discount.

9 ways to Synchronize Standalone Outlook to your Android Kitkat Phone

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Wayland Bruns

If you are like me, you depend on your PC Outlook for email, contact list and calendar. It’s the only tool that does a decent job of meeting invites, colored categories and name lookups. I’m not a big fan of online calendars because they are too slow! When I need to schedule something, or make a task from an email, I just drag and drop it in Outlook and it creates almost by itself. I’m not a fan of Office 365 because it slows down the load time of my Outlook. My work day is for business, not for waiting for a slow loading app, or web site to feeds nibbles to my PC.

I love my Galaxy Note II phone. It updated this spring to Android 4.4, and so I think it has almost all the features of a Galaxy Note III. The larger screen size is great because I use it for my Kindle, and for browsing news and technology articles on the web.

CompanionLink provides nine different ways to move data from Standalone Outlook to your Android Phone. Here is a rundown with some of the advantages and disadvantages. CompanionLink has created an Outlook Style App for Android called DejaOffice. This App is the only one on the market that supports Colored Categories just like Outlook. This App is the only one that supports Tasks linked to your Outlook Contacts list. Five of our seven system use DejaOffice as a destination, to make your Android phone more powerful.

USB Sync from Outlook to DejaOffice App on Android: If you liked Palm Hotsync, USB Sync is the way to go. Download DejaOffice on your device, and CompanionLink on your PC. Set up a USB link. Both programs have setup wizards to help you out. The sync will run whenever you connect your phone to your PC. This is a fully secure sync. There is no stored data on the web. As such it is fully HIPAA compliant. With DejaOffice you will see your Outlook Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Notes and Journal all in one handy Android App!
Bluetooth Sync from Outlook to DejaOffice App on Android: Just like Palm, CompanionLink offers the option to Bluetooth sync from Android to your PC. Your PC will need a Bluetooth connection. Most laptops have them built-in. For desktops you can buy a USB dongle for just a few dollars.
WiFi Sync from Outlook to DejaOffice App on Android: Wi-Fi uses your local Wi-Fi router to mediate a sync connection to your Android phone. This is handy if you don’t like plugging your phone in all day, and don’t have a Bluetooth connection. All you need here is a local Wi-Fi router that both your PC and your Phone are connected to. CompanionLink’s Wi-Fi sync is fully encrypted, so even though the sync goes through an unsecured router, it is protected using a password and AES256 level encryption (very strong). Most people consider this to be HIPAA compliant, but check with your compliance team to be sure.
DejaCloud Sync from Outlook to DejaOffice App on Android: CompanionLink offers a very fast cloud sync system called DejaCloud. There is an online app called DejaOffice CRM Live. With this system, your PC and your phone both synchronizes to the online database. With this system, you can be in-sync even when you are traveling away from your office. Everything is live, so if you enter a note, and the drop your phone into Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer lagoon, the note will be safely stored on your Outlook PC. DejaCloud supports simultaneous sync to multiple phones and PCs, and is the perfect solution if you use a phone and tablet, or a PC and Mac.
CompanionLink Secure Hosted Wireless to DejaOffice App on Android: CompanionLink offers a HIPAA compliant secure system. This system does not store your data online. Think of it like an email system, when the email is received, it is no longer on the server. In this case, when your phone gets the contact and calendar data, the server is wiped clean and empty. Because the server is clean, each device needs a separate account. So this is a point-to-point wireless system.
CompanionLink to Google, with Google Sync to your Android Phone: If you don’t need categories or tasks to sync, then you can use Google Sync for Contacts and Calendar. This is a lightweight solution for people who find the Android Contacts and Android Calendar sufficient for their Outlook needs. Just set up CompanionLink to go to Google, and use Google’s onboard synchronization for the rest. The best advantage here is that if you find you need your Categories or your Tasks, you can switch to one of the other methods for Free!
Office 365 Cloud to DejaOffice App on your Android Phone via USB, WI-Fi, DejaCloud or Google: If you don’t use Outlook on the PC, but only use Office 365 Cloud (formerly called Hotmail), you still have a number of options to synchronize. The advantage here is that DejaOffice acts just like Outlook on your Android phones. You have access to your Contacts, Calendar and Tasks, and you can easily create a Task from a Calendar event or Contact just as you would in Outlook.
Use DejaOffice Live to connect from Office 365 to DejaOffice App on Android: You can set up DejaCloud Sync for your device (item 4 above) but connect it directly to your Office 365 Cloud data. This sync run without any software on your PC. So you can turn your PC off, make a change in Office 365, and see it on your phone within seconds. DejaCloud Connectors work for other Cloud Apps like SalesForce and InfusionSoft.
Use DejaOffice Live to connect from Office 365 to Google: A quick and easy Cloud-to-Cloud connector automates sync from Office 365 to your Google Android account. Setup is entirely online, so you don’t even need to run CompanionLink on your PC. It’s completely automatic, so you never have to think about hitting a button or connecting a cable.

CompanionLink works with any version of Outlook, including Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2007. For all of these solutions, you can get a two week free trial from CompanionLink to try it out. If you choose to purchase the service it costs just $14.95 per quarter for a subscription, or $49.95 for a one-time purchase. Type in the Affinity code BLOG to get $10 off the one-time purchase, just for reading to the end of this blog. Once you purchase, you can install CompanionLink on up to three of your computers, and call our live US based telephone technical support. CompanionLink also offers Premium Support (dedicated phone line and expert tech, for people with sophisticated synchronizing needs) and a RunStart service where a technician logs onto your computer the set up what you need.

CompanionLink cures Google Calendar Sync Error 2016

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Rushang

Multiple reports starting the afternoon of Monday, August 5 confirm the much-rumored demise of the Google Calendar Sync utility. People who were able to sync Monday morning report getting Error 2016 later in the day. It appears Google has left the building for MS Outlook Calendar sync for free Gmail accounts.

People are turning to 3rd-party apps to fill the void. The right app for you depends on which specifics you value and the total cost of ownership.

Some things to factor in your decision:

will one license purchase allow install on all of your PCs
- CompanionLink allows install on 3 PCs
what are the support options (forum, email, phone, chat) in case you need help
- CompanionLink offers phone and email support no cost
how long has the company been in business
- CompanionLink has supported Google Calendar sync since 2006 and in business since 1988
is there a free trial
- CompanionLink offers a free 14-day trial
is there a no-questions-asked refund policy
- CompanionLink has a 90-day no-questions-asked policy
what is the software update policy
- CompanionLink offers free software updates
what other fields are synced
- CompanionLink sync Google calendar, categories, contacts, tasks, and contact photos
price
- CompanionLink is $39.95 after discount code ALTGCS is applied

Is the Fire Phone for business users?

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Rushang

This review focuses on business productivity with the Amazon Fire Phone.

TLDR Version: Fire Phone’s stock apps for Email, Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks are amateurish when compared to Galaxy S5. A shadow behind every text heading that changes dynamically with phone movements will annoy business users. The 3D Dynamic Perspective feature, while cool, distracts from flat-design principles the mobile industry is pivoting to.

One clever feature on Fire Phone is snippets on the homescreen. You can see 2-3 recent emails on the homescreen. This snippet area is app-specific, so useful snippets show on the homescreen for every app. Saves a lot of time.

Fire Phone packs new software and visuals but lacks the streamlined experience business users expect from $200 phones like Samsung or HTC. Future versions of Fire Phone will, undoubtedly, arrive more polished. Hat tip to Amazon for foraying into competitive territory and establishing their unique mark based on software.

Business category missing on Amazon Appstore

While the Appstore has categories, it fails to include a category for Business. Huh? Android historians will recall early versions of Android Market (now Google Play Store) also lacked a Business category. Perhaps this will come with time. Amazon Appstore has no Business category

Stock Calendar app

Fire Phone’s stock calendar app is sleek and mirrors the Galaxy S5. The one drawback in Month view is that you cannot determine how many appointments you have for a given day without tapping on the day and entering Day view. On GS5, each appointment comes with a snippet so you know at a glance how busy your day is.

Adding a Calendar Event

Both devices have common appointment fields like Start/End times, Location, and Attendees. The GS5 lets you select Timezone, which might be important to travel warriors.

Also, the Location field on GS5 has a Google Maps icon that lets you use a map to pick a location. Fire Phone’s Location field is text entry.

Email snippets on your home screen

Fire Phone has a clever homescreen snippets feature that shows your latest email messages. Because Fire Phone use a carousel theme on the homescreen, they use the space below the app icon to show you snippets related to your app. The carousel for Settings, for example, will show you popular settings.

Fire Phone shows email snippets on home screen

Fire Phone’s email app borrows font-styling from iOS and is better than most stock Samsung or HTC mail apps. I was able to set up my Outlook.com account in seconds. ActiveSync accounts are fully supported, as this BusinessInsider article confirms.

Fire Phone's email app uses text styling similar to iOS

Homescreen slider menu

Swipe on the left edge of the homescreen on Fire Phone and a convenient slider emerges. You can access popular features of your phone right from this menu. What kills the experience is the 3D texture behind the letters. As you can see from this image, it adds a subtle layer of “blur” around the text which may drive business users nuts.

Fire Phone homescreen slider menu

Mayday is responsive, as you would hope

Fire Phone’s personal help feature works. I was able to get “Steven” online with me in less than 30 seconds. During the wait, a message reassures me that Mayday only shares my screen and not anything through my forward-facing camera.

The reaction from the business community will be interesting to monitor. On one hand Mayday is a lifesaver for professionals who need to fix something immediately. On another hand, being one-click away from someone viewing what’s on your screen may be troubling. You decide.

Fire Phone Mayday is responsive

Final thoughts

Fire Phone v1 is naive for business users. If you like the latest technology and a new spin on software gimmicks, try it out. You might enjoy their fresh approach. If you want a mature Android phone, the Galaxy S5, HTC One, or a similar Android unit earns my $200.

The most complete alternative to the sunset Google Calendar Sync utility

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Rushang

Multiple reports are in that Google Calendar Sync will become sunset on August 1, 2014. People are receiving an email from Google’s “The Calendar Team” as follows:

Important Announcement about Google Calendar Sync

Almost two years ago, we announced that we ended support for Google Calendar Sync. Starting on August 1, 2014, this app will no longer sync events between your Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar.

You can continue to access all of your Google Calendar events at calendar.google.com or on your mobile devices. Follow these instructions to uninstall Google Calendar Sync from your computer.

– The Calendar Team

Google’s notice appears to imply more than we are not going to support this product. It means the sync functionality may cease due to a change at the API level (programmatic). Google appears to be forcing a shut down of Calendar Event sync between Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar.

This gives existing users 20 days to scramble to find a solution. There are many on the market. Choose one that matches your needs for features, use on multiple PCs or in a household scenario, and technical support options. Don’t overlook the support options. Many business users don’t have time to post questions on forums and moderate answers. They want the ability to pick up the phone and talk to an expert to get answers and their Google integration working. Support is a valuable consideration to the business community.

CompanionLink for Google is our product that comes with free telephone support and handles two-way sync between Google Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Groups and Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks, and categories. The product can also sync multiple Google Calendars to Outlook. Members of the same household can use one license, and business users can install the product on their home and work PCs. Updates are always free.

Gmail, Google, and all Google Apps accounts are supported. Outlook 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, and 2000 are supported. The product is available as a one-time license for $49.95. Enter ALTGCS on the order form and save $10 on your purchase. If you wish to purchase 20+ licenses for your organization, email us to get a volume purchase discount.

Here’s a full list of data CompanionLink synchronizes.

Calendar

Google Calendar syncs to Outlook Calendar
Full event details
Recurring and all-day events
Alarms/reminders
Accepted meeting invites (with attendee list)
Sync to multiple Outlook calendars (requires upgrade to CompanionLink Professional)

Contacts

Google Contacts syncs to Outlook Contacts
Names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses
Google Groups sync to Outlook Categories
Contact notes
Birthdays
Contact photos
Up to 9 custom fields in Outlook

Tasks

Outlook Tasks sync to Google Tasks or Google Calendar (you choose)
Task priorities
Recurring tasks
Due dates

Groups/Categories

Google Groups sync to Outlook Categories

How to synchronize Act! v16 and Office 365

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Rushang

Businesses who upgrade to Office 365 need a way to tie Act! CRM data with Office 365 cloud accounts. These cloud accounts are powered by Exchange ActiveSync technology that all mobile device manufacturers support. If you can sync Act! with Office 365, you can use the cloud to serve as an integration hub to phones, tablets and desktop email software with contacts and calendar storage. For example, people can store Act! contacts, activities, notes, and histories on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and PCs and Macs with Outlook desktop clients.

Office 365 serves as an Exchange ActiveSync connection to phones, tablets, PC, and Mac.

CompanionLink has both individual and server software that keeps Act! synchronized with Office 365 accounts. Data synchronizes automatically for a set-and-forget experience.

“Office 365 is here to stay and businesses want to make sure their CRM isn’t left behind,” says Rushang Shah, Director of Marketing for CompanionLink Software. “CompanionLink can extend Act! contacts, activities and client history to your Office 365 subscription.”

Alternatively, you can set CompanionLink to synchronize Act! securely and direct to Outlook 2013 desktop software that comes bundled with Office 365 subscriptions. This creates a secure cloud-free setup for people who choose not to host client data, notes, and history in the cloud. With a feature called DoubleLook Mode, CompanionLink automates the Outlook sync. Here is a convenient setup guide for using Outlook 2013 without the Office 365 cloud.

Visit www.companionlink.com/office365/act for more information about Act! to Office 365 integration.

For advanced Act! users who want an Act!-like app on their mobile device, we have a free app called DejaOffice CRM (Andriod, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry) with views for Act! fields like Notes, Histories, Linked Activities, and Groups (ID/Status). The app syncs direct to Act! using DejaCloud, USB, or Wi-Fi technology. More info here.

How To: Sync Galaxy S5 with Microsoft Outlook

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Rushang

Turn the Samsung Galaxy S5 into an extension of your office by installing the DejaOffice app (free) and integrating with Outlook. Choose our cloud push sync for an automatic approach to updating data. Or, use our USB or Wi-Fi options to sync between Galaxy S5 and Outlook contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, categories, and journal entries. This is a cost-effective and secure alternative to hosting data in Microsoft or Google’s cloud.

Why you need a Kies alternative

Many people try to configure Samsung Kies to sync with Galaxy S5. Users have recently reported missing sync options, missing data, and general connectivity trouble when trying to synchronize. You can read about these problems here, here, and here. You can also read about one USATODAY.com editor’s experience using Kies.

If you value your Outlook data, sanity, or just need a solution that works out of the box with the new Galaxy phone, try CompanionLink. It’s been downloaded more than 1.2 million times and is the #1 independent PC suite for Android sync with Outlook.

Your options for S5 Outlook sync

CompanionLink’s configuration lets you choose which Outlook data to sync. Toggle Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, and Journal. Advanced data such as Categories will also sync so you have the same data sets and view options on your Galaxy as you do in Outlook. Choose from two-way sync or limit it to just one-way transfer. You can even select the sync direction (Outlook > S5, or S5 > Outlook).

If you have multiple Outlook PST files and folders, you can select which to sync. Let’s say you have an iPad and use iCloud to keep it synchronized with Outlook. Your Outlook client will have your default Outlook Contacts/Calendar folder (PST file) as well as a separate iCloud Contacts/Calendar folder (PST file). The iCloud folder is installed by default when you install the iCloud software from Apple. It’s important that you are able to choose the right Outlook folders to sync with Galaxy S5 so you do not accidentally mix data (such as personal data with business data).

You can choose which specific Outlook Categories to sync with S5. Many professionals store leads and clients in the same Outlook Contacts file under different categories. Or, they store Personal and Business data under two categories. It’s important to use a PC sync suite with the flexibility to select which Categories to synchronize with your Galaxy S5.

You can pick how you want to synchronize. CompanionLink allows sync to Galaxy S5 over USB, WiFi, DejaCloud, and using a Gmail account. Each sync method has its merits; click here for a complete discussion on this. No other Android Outlook app offers this breadth of sync options to fit the needs for security and convenience.

Someone to call in case you need help

CompanionLink extends free phone support and email support to Galaxy S5 owners. Visit this page for help if you need to speak with us.

CompanionLink also has step-by-step guides to configure each type of synchronization:

You can also purchase a $49 RunStart package that schedules time with a CompanionLink technician who will log into your PC and set up the synchronization. This guarantees a correctly configured Galaxy S5 to PC sync and the peace of mind knowing your Outlook database isn’t being accidentally corrupted.

CompanionLink and DejaOffice 2014 Plans; DejaVoice, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Gear Watch, iWatch, iPad, Google Glass

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Wayland Bruns

Here is a roundup of our current projects and how they relate to upcoming products:

For Galaxy S5 – we are excited to see the announcement of the next Galaxy series phone. I carry one, and I hope you do too. The S5 has a slightly larger screen that is a lot higher resolution, latest KitKat Android, fingerprint scanner, better battery. Here’s Samsung’s official page.

Look for CompanionLink 6.0 to fully support Office 365 and Outlook 2013 sync to Galaxy S5 and all related Samsung phones; Active, Zoom, Mini, Mega, Light.

Before April, DejaOffice will support the fingerprint unlock, particularly for our encrypted mode which uses high level encryption to lock your contact and calendar data.

Also before April DejaOffice will be getting some new usability features; a side-menu for quicker app switching, and better integration with KitKat notifications. Some of these require KitKat or higher OS version. Some features will also be available for lower versions. The new release will get a new version number DejaOffice 3.0.

We are about to release DejaVoice. This is a voice dictation system that is intended for voice command, and voice readback. DejaVoice is a standalone system. You can use it like a dictation machine where you speak what you would like to write. DejaVoice is suited to voice editing, where it automatically reads back content, and you can modify it on the fly. Also coming in March is DejaVoice Translate, where you speak in one language, and it reads back in another. This is to assist in communication while traveling. Finally, DejaVoice is also suited for communication for hearing impaired and speaking impaired. Using the dictation and readback systems separately gives touch based controls to create verbal input and output to assist people to function more smoothly.

With DejaVoice launched as a standalone product, look for it to be integrated into DejaOffice. This is the promise (and failure) of Siri to be a verbal IO system for a CRM product. Look for a command engine to handle “what are my tasks today?” and also the ability to add, change, delete records, to sent notices to attendees, to quickly map the next appointment and launch directions.

Voice commands and CRM together speak a lot to Google Glass, Ford Sync, and other automobile and wearable systems. The integration of your own contact list and schedules make it natural to want to send out messages, reorganize tasks, dictate letters, and make project notes all while sitting in traffic with both your hands on the steering wheel. This is our main goal for 2014 is to integrate all these systems with our realtime DejaCloud Sync which supports PC and Cloud destinations like Salesforce, Outlook, Lotus Notes, Act! and Goldmine.