Tag Archives: outlook sync

How To Sync The myTouch 4G Slide With Outlook

Posted on by David Z
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T-Mobile unleashed the latest iteration of the myTouch smartphone to the public today: the myTouch 4G Slide. The myTouch 4G Slide improves upon the myTouch model in many ways. It features a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, slide out QWERTY keyboard, 4G speeds, and HTC Sense 3.0 on Android 2.3. Additionally, the myTouch 4G Slide’s 8MP camera is said to be one of the best currently on the market. Selling for $199 with a new contract, the myTouch 4G Slide should prove to be a very popular device this summer.

Of course, at CompanionLink we’re always testing the latest devices. We’re happy to report that you can use CompanionLink to successfully sync contacts, calendar, tasks and notes between the myTouch 4G Slide and CRM databases such as Microsoft Outlook, Sage ACT!, Lotus Notes, Salesforce, Zoho, and more. The myTouch 4G Slide supports all four of our sync methods: direct via USB, via WiFi, via Secured Hosted Wireless sync, or via Google. To find more info, as well as download a 14-day free trial, visit www.companionlink.com/android/.

Want to sync the myTouch 4G Slide with Outlook?
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Is CompanionLink Part of the Google Tax?

Posted on by Rushang
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Does Google Apps come with “hidden fees?” That’s what Tom Rizzo of Microsoft indicates in a recent blog post about the hidden costs of Google Apps. In fact, he refers to the extra costs as the “Google Tax” – the costs one would incur if they started using Google Apps to manage email, contacts, calendar, tasks, desktop publishing, and document management.

It’s no secret that many people are searching for a replacement for Microsoft Office. What’s most interesting, perhaps, is that they aren’t actually switching. In fact, Microsoft’s findings show that 9 out of 10 people use Google Apps in conjunction with Microsoft Office; not as a replacement for Microsoft Office. The “Google Tax,” however, still applies. Microsoft mentions CompanionLink as an example of a third-party application that is required if two-way synchronization between Outlook and Google Apps is desired. CompanionLink is part of the Google tax, claims Microsoft in a white paper they published.

Under the scenario where Google Apps is used in conjunction with Microsoft Office, CompanionLink is, in fact, a key component of the Google Apps ecosystem. CompanionLink allows people to keep their Microsoft Outlook contacts and calendar in sync with Google Apps. In fact, CompanionLink supports any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps account – paid or free.

Arguably, people using paid Google Apps services don’t need to use CompanionLink. Google offers a tool called Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook as part of any paid edition of Google Apps. If you’re on a free edition of Google Apps or using a free Google or Gmail account, you don’t have this option and need to look at 3rd party software like CompanionLink.

Even with Google’s tools, however, paying customers are offered forum-based support only. To some degree, this makes sense – they are a cloud-based company, after all. Phone or email support may not fit the cloud model.

This is where CompanionLink really shines.

In addition to numerous advance features, CompanionLink provides both email and US-based phone support. CompanionLink guarantees the synchronization between Google and Microsoft Outlook works on day one and day 365.

So, is CompanionLink a part of a “Google Tax?” Maybe. But we feel strongly that the ability to pick up the phone and talk to someone is, on its own, well worth the cost of admission (which, by the way, is a one-time license fee of $49.95).

Support Update: How to Sync the DROID Incredible 2 With Your PC

Posted on by David Z
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HTC recently released their follow-up to last year’s very popular DROID Incredible. Aptly named the DROID Incredible 2, this Android-powered handheld is a solid update from last year’s model. The HTC DROID Incredible 2 features a 4” display, a 1GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel camera. The phone ships running Android 2.2 with HTC Sense. All in all it’s a great device and a worthy competitor among today’s top mobile phones. For early reactions to the device, as well as some detailed photos, check out Android Central’s initial review.

Such a great device is bound to be quite popular. As such, we’re happy to inform all you prospective buyers and new owners that CompanionLink fully supports syncing contacts, calendar, tasks and notes between the Incredible 2 and PC software such as Microsoft Outlook, ACT! by Sage, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes and more. You can sync direct via USB, over your local Wi-Fi network, via our Secure Hosted Wireless service, or wirelessly through Google. To learn more, as well as download a 14-day free trial, visit https://www.companionlink.com/phones/htc-incredible.html

ASUS: Transforming the Way We Think About Tablets

Posted on by David Z
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If I had to guess, I’d be willing to be that the number one complaint about tablets today is that they’re just not that easy to type on, at least for longer periods of time. Sure, you can use a Bluetooth keyboard on many, but that feels like more of an afterthought than anything. In fact, I would argue that it’s one of the biggest reasons business users might favor a laptop over a tablet as a secondary, mobile device. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer aims to change that.

As its name suggests, the Transformer starts out as a competitive, yet standard tablet. When paired with the optional laptop dock, however, it becomes an entirely new machine. Not only does the laptop dock provide a keyboard and multi-touch trackpad, it actually adds additional usage time with its built in battery.  The ability to transform from a lightweight tablet to a highly productive laptop gives this unique device a lot of potential.

As we’ve stated before, we believe devices like the Motorola Atrix are signaling a shift in mobile computing. The Eee Pad Transformer is helping lead this charge!

Note: Are you looking to sync the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer with Outlook or another popular personal information manager? We have you covered: check out CompanionLink for PC and DejaOffice for Android!

An Update On Syncing The BlackBerry PlayBook

Posted on by David Z
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If you’re one of the many who got their hands on a PlayBook this past week, I’m sure you’re well aware of its current lake of contacts, calendars, etc. While these thing should be coming via software updates, they aren’t here yet. So, in the meantime, what do you do if you want to sync Outlook to the BlackBerry PlayBook? We currently have a few options for you:

1. If you own a BlackBerry phone, you can sync Outlook to your BlackBerry via CompanionLink for Outlook. Then, simply launch the BlackBerry Bridge app and pair it up with the PlayBook. All the contacts, calendars, tasks, & memos you synced to your BlackBerry phone will now be available on the PlayBook for as long as the connection remains open. We realize that this is not the most direct route, but it’s the most integrated option available to us at the moment.

2. If you do not own a BlackBerry phone, or want to be able to access your contacts and calendars without having to use the Bridge app, you can use CompanionLink for Outlook to sync Outlook to Google. Once the sync is complete, you can use the browser on the PlayBook to navigate to Google’s web apps. This, of course, requires a data connection to load.

Future software updates for the PlayBook are expected to bring integrated contacts, calendars, tasks, and memos to the device. At that point, we anticipate users will be able to sync via CompanionLink and the BlackBerry Desktop software as is currently done with BlackBerry phones. Additionally, Research In Motion (RIM) has stated that the PlayBook will ultimately be able to run Android apps. When this functionality becomes available, we are expecting that DejaOffice will be able to run natively on the PlayBook, further expanding the sync options available.

If you have any questions on your current sync options or our anticipated future sync options, leave a comment below or get in touch on Twitter or Facebook!

The Sidekick 4G: Now With More Android!

Posted on by David Z
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Historically, the Sidekick was always a fairly popular phone. Of course, since the Danger debacle and recent shutdown notice, we’ve seen this popularity fade away to some degree. Don’t expect the slump to last, however. The Sidekick is back and it features some solid specs, including 4G data.

The biggest news, however, is that the Sidekick 4G will be running Android. This opens the door for a lot of potential. Business users who want to move away from BlackBerries, but still want a solid physical keyboard will want to take a look at the Sidekick and its great keyboard design. Those who know a little about the previous Sidekicks might balk at this suggestion, claiming that the Sidekick is not designed to be a business device. Admittedly, it is marketed more towards a younger crowd. However, the Sidekick 4G features a few nice additions, such as WiFi calling and “cloud-based” texting that serve to extend the phone’s functionality and maximize productivity when you’re away from cell signal or at the computer. And, of course, after downloading a few business-focused Android apps, like DejaOffice, the Sidekick can be just as productive as any other Android available today!

Looking for information on how to sync the Sidekick 4G with Outlook and other popular databases. Click here!

How to Sync Windows Phone 7 with Outlook

Posted on by David Z
10


A number of years ago, Windows Mobile 6.5 was released to the public. Though it had its quirks, the Windows Mobile platform gathered a small but loyal following of business professionals and productivity enthusiasts. Perhaps the biggest reason for this following was just how easy the platform made it to sync with Microsoft Outlook.

When Microsoft released Windows Phone 7 last year, they completely revamped the interface to make it much easier to interact with. Some would even say they’ve made it pretty. At this time, many existing Windows Mobile owners assumed that Outlook sync would work the same way it had before. It didn’t. Disappointed, confused, and upset are only a few of the words that would describe the general reaction to the situation. Amazingly, Microsoft offers no method to sync Windows Phone 7 to Outlook directly via USB.

What are Windows Phone 7 owners supposed to do? Microsoft offers two official solutions: Sync via a hosted Exchange server or use the Outlook Hotmail Connector. Exchange setup is fairly straightforward – if you have an Exchange server, that is. For those who don’t, the Outlook Hotmail Connecter is the only other option from Microsoft. This option requires you to sync your Outlook data to Windows Live/Hotmail, which then wirelessly syncs to your phone. Both options limit you to syncing contacts and calendars only.

While current Windows Phone 7 API’s prevent CompanionLink from providing a direct sync option, we can sync Outlook to Windows Phone 7 devices via Google. This option offers advanced wireless sync of contacts and calendars, as well as tasks and categories. We sync your Outlook tasks to the calendar as untimed entries, and we sync Outlook contact categories as Google Groups. Once CompanionLink syncs your data to your Google account, it is automatically synced to your phone, courtesy of Google. This happens through your phone’s wireless data connection. Two-way sync is fully supported too, so you can make changes from anywhere.

To get started, simply download CompanionLink for Outlook and configure it with your Google username and password. Detailed setup instructions can be found on our support page. Next, set up your Windows Phone 7 device to sync with your Google account and you’ll be done. It’s that simple!

We’ll be keeping an eye on the Windows Phone platform. With any luck, perhaps a future update will allow developers such as ourselves to implement a more robust sync solution.

If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments.

Sync the Motorola Xoom with Your PC

Posted on by David Z
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Motorola recently released their latest Android-powered tablet, the Xoom. The Xoom is available from Verizon and runs on Wi-Fi as well as the Verizon’s 3G and 4G/LTE networks. Sporting a dual-core processor, Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), a 10.1” widescreen HD display, and more, the Motorola Xoom has a lot to love, but it unfortunately lacks an easy way to sync with Microsoft Outlook and other PC applications.

Image Credit: Verizon Wireless

Using CompanionLink it is now possible to sync contacts, calendar, tasks and notes between the Xoom and PC software such as Microsoft Outlook, ACT! by Sage, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes and more. You can sync via local WiFi, Secure Hosted wireless sync, or wirelessly via Google. At this time, our wired USB sync is not available as Android 3.0 does not currently support SD storage. This is an issue we anticipate will be resolved fairly quickly. In the meantime, we recommend local WiFi sync as the closest alternative to wired USB sync.

Find more info, as well as a 14-day free trial, at https://www.companionlink.com/phones/moto-xoom.html

The Motorola Atrix 4G – Phone, Media Center, & Laptop

Posted on by David Z
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The Motorola Atrix 4G, the phone that won widespread admiration at CES 2011, was released to the public on AT&T’s network yesterday. To say that this is just another Android phone would be an understatement. In addition to being one of the few phones to support the new 4G networks, the Atrix features the unique ability to transform itself into a powerful media center or laptop via a series of peripheral docks.

The multimedia dock is more play than work, allowing users to easily connect their Atrix to their TV and enjoy videos, music, and more. While that is likely to be a popular feature among home theater enthusiasts, I’d like to focus more on the second docking option: the laptop dock. The laptop dock allows Atrix users to connect the phone to a lightweight laptop frame. This then runs a “web-top” application, allowing users to harness the productivity of the laptop form, all from their mobile phone. In theory, this could drastically improve your productivity on the go. While you don’t save much space when compared to carrying around a phone and tablet/small laptop, you do benefit from having everything easily accessible on one device. It may sound like a small thing, but it can have a huge impact on your mobile productivity!

The laptop dock is something we have not yet seen from any other mobile phone, and it certainly has the potential to change the way we work while on the go. However, it remains to be seen just how well it works in the real world. Initial reviews generally praise the phone, but suggest skipping the laptop dock. They state that, while the concept is widely adored, the actual application is a bit clunky and too expensive. That said, this is merely version 1. The technology has a lot of room to advance, get faster, and come down in price.

With tablets already changing they way we work on the go, do you think the unique docking features of the Atrix have a chance to put a dent in the popularity of the tablet? Or will they simply manifest as marketing gimmicks that ultimately die out?

Note: Are you looking to sync the Motorola Atrix 4G with Outlook or another popular personal information manager? We have you covered: check out ComplanionLink for PC and DejaOffice for Android!

New Online Knowledge Base Makes Using CompanionLink Easier Than Ever

Posted on by David Z
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CompanionLink is pleased to announce the launch of our new support knowledge base (KB). Our goal to make public the sync and configuration expertise that we have in-house. We’ll be sharing setup guides, tips & tricks, productivity tweaks, and more. Over time, the KB will grow, adding additional setup guides for existing devices, as well as guides for new devices as they are released.

Currently, the KB features easy-to-use setup guides for Apple and Android devices. Learn how to sync your new Nexus S to Outlook. Or, learn how to sync ACT! data to the Verizon iPhone. Whatever your setup is, we’ll show you how to get everything up and running. Just visit www.companionlink.com/support/kb. Then, simply choose your device and sync method and you’ll be directed through detailed steps, photos, and videos showing you exactly how to configure CompanionLink and DejaOffice.

We will be expanding the KB in the future in an effort to better serve CompanionLink and DejaOffice users!

HTC Inspire Brings 4G to AT&T Customers, Mobile Productivity Wins

Posted on by David Z
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Yesterday, AT&T began selling the HTC Inspire 4G. The Inspire features a massive 4.3” super LED display – the largest of any phone on AT&T’s network – and runs the latest iteration of the HTC Sense UI, all for $99 (after a 2-year agreement). It also marks a number of firsts for AT&T:

  • It is the first 4G phone on their network
  • It is the first device to run Android 2.2 on AT&T
  • It is the first device to make use of the new Mobile Hotspot application

The HTC Inspire brings an impressive list of features that are sure to be a hit among new phone buyers. I could dedicate an entire post just to those features. However, I’d like to focus on one specific feature: 4G. With the increasing amount of work done on while the go, the speed of your mobile device’s wireless connection becomes more and more important.

As I was writing this post, I decided to run a speed test on my 3G device. The result? I got a little over 1mbps down. To put that in perspective, most home internet connections are at least 10x faster. For downloading a small document or photo, 1mbps is does just fine. However, when downloading large documents with charts and graphics or high-resolution photos for work, you’ll often find yourself waiting for as long as a few minutes, depending on your signal quality. It may not seem like much, but over time it adds up and eats away at your productivity.

The obvious question in all of this is, of course, what does 4G mean when compared to 3G? The answer depends on whom you ask. At the end of the day, “4G” is merely a label. What it really means is that mobile data connection speeds are constantly improving – and when your mobile productivity relies on the ability to access data quickly, that is what truly matters!

Note: Are you looking to sync the HTC Inspire 4G with Outlook or another popular personal information manager? We have you covered: check out ComplanionLink for PC and DejaOffice for Android!

Get Microsoft Outlook Categories On Your iOS & Android Device

Posted on by David Z
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As many Outlook users will tell you, categories play an important role in keeping everything organized. Categorizing your contacts, calendars, notes, & tasks helps you to break them down into manageable groups of information. Color-coding this information further helps by giving you the ability to interpret data at a glance. For example, I use yellow to signify a business call.  I use red to denote a mission critical appointment.  I use blue for business meetings, and green for personal meetings. Just by glancing at the color of an appointment, I know what it’s for.

Business people rely on similar systems every day to be productive. However, another thing many Outlook users will tell you is that they have not found a great way to sync categories to the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, & Android devices.

This is a major concern for many people. The ability to categorize data efficiently becomes severely limited when it is only accessible at the computer. We are a mobile society, and we need our information available at a glance if we are to stay productive on the go. Therefore, the ability to sync Outlook categories is not just convenient for most users, it’s quite important!

That’s where DejaOffice enters the picture. DejaOffice is a free iOS and Android app that we built in response to the need for a great way to sync data from Outlook, as well as a variety of other popular Personal Information Manager programs. Using DejaOffice in conjunction with CompanionLink for Outlook allows you to sync your existing category data from Outlook to your Apple or Android device over Wi-Fi or via CompanionLink Secure Hosted Wireless. With DejaOffice and CompanionLink, you are able to take your categories with you! For more information on how to set up and sync Outlook categories, visit our support page.

Sync Salesforce CRM to Android, iPhone, and More

Posted on by David Z
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Sync with SalesforceI have big news for Salesforce.com users looking for a way to take their data with them on the go. CompanionLink Professional now offers two-way sync between Salesforce CRM and Android, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, webOS, and Windows Phone devices. Contacts, calendars, and tasks are all supported.

While we’re excited to offer this great feature across all our supported devices, this is especially good news for Android users. Salesforce does not currently provide a sync solution for Android. This limits mobile productivity for a growing population of the smartphone market. With CompanionLink Professional, Android users can be mobile with their Salesforce data in a matter of minutes.

In addition to supporting Salesforce sync, CompanionLink Professional also supports sync with multiple devices (think phone and tablet) and real-time sync between two databases (think Salesforce and Outlook).

CompanionLink Professional is available via CompanionLink.com or the Salesforce AppExchange. Visit these links for more information, Salesforce user reviews, and a 14-day free trial.

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/

Forbes and NY Times Recommend CompanionLink’s BlackBerry Sync with Outlook 2010

Posted on by Andy Sheragy
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Not so long ago, RIM updated their Desktop Software package to support Microsoft Outlook 2010. However, they only offered support for the 32-bit edition of Outlook 2010, not the 64-bit edition. CompanionLink announced compatibility with both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Microsoft Outlook 2010 with BlackBerry and other mobile devices. Recently, popular publications Forbes and the New York Times reviewed CompanionLink’s sync solution for BlackBerry with Outlook 2010.

In the New York Times Personal Tech Q&A section, columnist J. D. Biersdorfer mentions that official support documents from BlackBerry indicate that BlackBerry Desktop Software 6.0 is not compatible with Microsoft Outlook 2010 64-bit. Biersdorfer suggests CompanionLink as a solution for synchronizing with BlackBerry devices.

A post on the Forbes Investor blog by writer Marc Gerstein highlights his frustrating experience spending hours trying to sync his BlackBerry Tour with Outlook 2010. Gerstein points out that his frustrations are shared with many BlackBerry owners facing similar sync problems. Gerstein then turned to CompanionLink to solve his BlackBerry to Outlook 2010 sync issues. CompanionLink was able to sync Gerstein’s data within a few minutes.

Want to know more? Visit www.companionlink.com/blackberry

PC World Reviews CompanionLink for Google

Posted on by Andy Sheragy
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Yesterday, PC World writer Preston Gralla posted a helpful review of CompanionLink for Google. The review details the dilemma many users have in synchronizing their Android phones with Microsoft Outlook. CompanionLink for Google syncs Outlook contacts, calendar and tasks with any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps Premier account. Google can then wirelessly sync your Outlook data with most smartphones using the free Google Sync service.

Read the PC World article here. You can download a 14-day free trial of CompanionLink for Google at www.companionlink.com/google