CompanionLink featured in New York Times print edition

Posted on by Wayland

The print edition of The New York Times, page 89, featured CompanionLink!  Wow!

The article Keeping Your Android Files in Sync With a Computer mentions CompanionLink along with several free options like Google Sync (which does not sync to your PC) and DropBox which does not synchronize Contacts or Calendar.

“I’m really happy to see our name in print”, says Wayland Bruns, CTO of CompanionLink software.   “We are the only product mentioned that uses a traditional business model.  We offer paid software with associated service like free telephone technical support.”

CompanionLink fully understands that not everyone is a technical genius, able to pull together multiple free solutions to make a seamless solution.  Sometimes the best value in software tools is finding a tool that comes with the service needed to make it smooth and effortless.

Many thanks to D.J. Biersdorfer for recognizing us in print!

How to Sync Samsung Galaxy S7 to Outlook and Office 365

Posted on by Wayland

We got our Galaxy S7 Edge today. Nice phone. The graphics are great. The phone is light. The curved edges are awesome.

These large screen phablet phones are perfect for the DejaOffice for Outlook App. There’s a lot of useful space to do important things.

The Google App and Outlook App both waste this space by using lots of white space. Our goal here at CompanionLink is to pack the space with data. The phone list on DejaOffice features your contact name, company name, email, phone number and category, and that’s just on the list. For tasks DejaOffice shows category, completed status, subject, due date, email or location. The Outlook App and Google App don’t even have tasks!

How to Sync Galaxy S7 with Outlook

  1. On your PC or Mac; Download the CompanionLink for Outlook 14-day trial
  2. On your iPhone or Android phone, download DejaOffice for Outlook
  3. Set up USB, Wi-Fi or DejaCloud sync

That’s it!  You’ll have your data on your phone.  For more information here’s our info page for CompanionLink for Outlook.

Call us at 503-243-3400 if you need further help.

CompanionLink provides free technical support to everyone with a Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge phone, regardless of whether you do or do not own a license to CompanionLink . You can also access our setup guides online. If you want an advanced configuration help, we offer a $49 RunStart package where our experts will log in to your PC and Galaxy S7 to configure the sync for you. This gives you the peace of mind that your Galaxy S7 Outlook sync is fine-tuned to match your needs.

Sync Outlook for Mac 2011 – Contacts and Calendar – with El Capitan

Posted on by Wayland

CompanionLink has an offer for people who have upgraded to El Capitan.

Apple’s updates always seem to break old things. In this case, there are field reports that Exchange Contact and Calendar sync from Outlook for Mac 2011 is not working with El Capitan, Mac OS X 10.11.

CompanionLink for Mac is working fine.  So if you need your Contacts and Calendar updated in a jiffy, maybe it’s time to switch from Exchange sync to CompanionLink.

We have two routes to do this.  One is to install CompanionLink for Mac, and synchronize to Google, and set your iPhone, iPad or Android phone to sync with Google.  This is a great solution if you only need Contacts and Calendar.  As you can see, Calendar colors are supported by CompanionLink’s Google Sync.

The better method is to download the DejaOffice for Outlook App onto your phone, and synchronize using DejaCloud sync.  This is a direct sync from your Outlook for Mac 2011, and Outlook for Mac 2016 to DejaCloud and instantly to DejaOffice on your phone.  DejaCloud sync handles Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes.  It handles your calendar colors.  It has a lot of advanced features like templates that make adding new events and tasks ultra easy, and mapping capabilities to map nearby contacts and map your calendar events.  Check it out!

CompanionLink for Mac runs $49.95 and has a two week free trial.  You can save $10 today by using the code “BLOG” in the Affinity Code field of your purchase, making CompanionLink for Mac just $39.95.  Or for free, you can just start with the trial.  Who knows, maybe Apple will fix the El Capitan problem in the next two weeks!

 

How to Sync Outlook Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes with iPhone 6s

Posted on by Wayland

There seems no end to sync solutions for iPhone.  The problem is; they all devolve into Apple-like simplicity.

Face it.  We use Outlook because it is fast, effective, and the whole world supports it.  It is forced on us by our business, it runs our mail, it runs our appointments, and the less time we can spend there, the more we can do our jobs.

cl djo hero

With iPhone, the best known solutions are feeble, at best.  With Apple iCloud, you need to create a different Outlook folder and move your data to it.  You need to put up with problems with it, with mail and other things.  And then, when it gets to iPhone, you have no Tasks any more just reminders.

With Office 365 and the Outlook App you have a different set of problems.  It all gets to the phone ok (except for tasks again) but the only thing that is marginally good with the Outlook App from Microsoft is the email.  Hello Microsoft:  Email is NOT a problem on the iPhone.

So that’s what CompanionLink and DejaOffice are here to do. Synchronize Outlook Contacts, and Outlook Calendar, and Outlook Tasks to the iPhone.  Not only to move them, safely and securely, but DejaOffice provides an Outlook-like ecosystem on the iPhone and Android so that you can continue to do Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes just like your PC.  So if you want to schedule an appointment, or make a task for a contact, you can do that in one App on your phone.  If you have Recurring Tasks, CompanionLink and DejaOffice is the only solution available that supports them on all platforms.

CompanionLink also works for Outlook for Mac 2011 and Outlook for Mac 2015.

Here’s how to sync Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Memos:

  1. On your PC or Mac; Download the CompanionLink for Outlook 14-day trial
  2. On your iPhone or Android phone, download DejaOffice for Outlook
  3. Set up USB, Wi-Fi or DejaCloud sync

That’s it!  You’ll have your data on your phone.  For more information here’s our info page for CompanionLink for Outlook.

How to sync Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ to Outlook

Posted on by Wayland

Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ are the newest additions to the Wide World of Phablets. The Edge+ is the first Phablet phone to feature the curved edges which can show information while the phone is turned.

DejaOffice for Outlook App is made for these large screen phones, giving a maximum of functionality.  Only DejaOffice offers:

* Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes in one app, and you can link them together
* Category colors, use the same categories across all conduits.
* USB, Wi-FI and Cloud synchronization options
* Private records, view them only when you enter a pass code
* Onboard encryption.  Even if your phone is lost, your data is safe

Setup Guide for Samsung Galaxy Outlook sync

  1. Install CompanionLink on your PC. Click here to download it.
  2. On your Galaxy Phone, launch the Google Play Store. Search for DejaOffice and install it.
  3. Configure CompanionLink. Your configuration steps will depend on the sync option listed above that you choose.
    1. Setup guide: Galaxy S6 to Outlook USB sync
    2. Setup guide: Galaxy S6 to Outlook WiFi sync
    3. Recommended: Galaxy S6 to Outlook DejaCloud sync (automatic)
    4. Setup guide: Galaxy S6 to Outlook using a Google account
    5. With DejaCloud sync, the synchronization will begin automatically within a few minutes. If you selected USB, WiFi, or sync to Google, you need to click on the Sync button in CompanionLink on your PC to start the first sync.

Further help for Samsung Galaxy to Outlook sync

Call us at 503-243-3400 if you need further help. Support is free to everyone with a Galaxy S6 phone, regardless of whether you do or do not own a license to CompanionLink . You can also access our setup guides online. If you want an advanced configuration help, we offer a $49 RunStart package where our experts will log in to your PC and Galaxy S6 to configure the sync for you. This gives you the peace of mind that your Galaxy S6 to PC sync is fine-tuned to match your needs.

Palm Desktop on Windows 10 – Works great, less filling, lighting fast

Posted on by Wayland

I have to admit it.  I’m a closet Palm Desktop user.  Long ago I was seduced by the fast load time, and the fact that it has everything I need for my daily contact, calendar and task needs.  I really like the memos.  I love to collect quotes that include mixed metaphors.  So my memos are full of silly things that people really said.  My favorite:  “I’ll jump off that bridge when I get to it.”

Palm Desktop is licensed to use in conjunction with a Palm Device, so I always keep my venerable Palm Razor close by when I use my computer.  Palm itself was sold years ago to ACCESS in Japan.  Later, HandSpring renamed themselves Palm (to confuse everyone) and released the Palm Pre, a Palm phone that didn’t run like a Palm phone.  After that miserable failure (I’m looking at you BlackBerry), the second Palm company sold themselves to HP which rightly shut them down.

Recently, HP has scrubbed the Palm taint from their web pages.  However, Palm Desktop v6.2 is still available from CNET.  Palm Desktop v4.1.4 is available from Softonic, albeit with some adware added to the installer. Unfortunately, HotSync drivers stopped working back with Windows Vista.  So you can’t actually use Palm HotSync for anything.

I have Palm Desktop set to a hotkey, Ctrl-Shift-P for me.  So i hit the hotkey, make an appointment, set the alarm, and close it.  I can get all that done all before Outlook even loads.  Speed and effectiveness is what I value with my PC. I care little for zoom effects, or colorful screens.  CompanionLink Sync with Palm Desktop is also lighting fast.  Sometimes I don’t even see the icon turn.  With DejaCloud sync, my new appointment is already on my phone.

Our setup guide is here:  http://www.companionlink.com/support/kb/How_To_Set_Up_Palm_Desktop_On_Windows_10

More information here:  http://www.companionlink.com/palmdesktop/

May all our adventures in Contact and Calendar management be as fast and robust as the venerable Palm Desktop.

 

 

Windows 10, Misery and Magic

Posted on by Wayland

Having been in this business 27 years gives me some experience.  But nothing in my experience matches what Microsoft is attempting; a free OS update for more than 500 million computers.

Do I have a prediction?  Can Microsoft handle the server load?  Will everyone be impressed but the support?  I don’t say so.  However, I will predict that whether Microsoft is successful or unsuccessful, we will all remember August 1, 2015 as the date that Windows changed the World, for better or worse.

What I’m anticipating is a combination of people successful in the Windows 10 transition, looking for help with the new OS and how to do things.  I also predict a certain percentage of failed updates.  Even a 1% failure rate means 5 million computers that no longer boot.  So I would predict that more PC hardware will be shipped in August 2015 than in any month of the last four years.

So many people, reinstalling apps, looking up licenses, switching to newer versions.

We also look with some interest at Microsoft’s “Phone Companion” software, which will “magically” keep everything in sync.  Since Windows 10 preview is out, and Phone Companion is not in it, I definitely think magic is what they need now.   I think it will be good for CompanionLink (thank you Microsoft for naming your feature) to continue to do what we do – simple and dependable phone sync.   There’s nothing they will introduce in two weeks that can match the features and dependability of CompanionLink and DejaOffice.

The Samsung Smart Switch equivalent for business users

Posted on by Rushang

Samsung has a useful app called Smart Switch that allows quick transfer of key data between two Android devices. It helps people who buy a new phone, like Samsung Galaxy S6, to move music, photos, contacts, calendar, and settings from an older phone.

The 4-star reviews of the app shows that Smart Switch works well for basic data. The 50,000+ reviews also show that transferring information between devices is a big problem that many people are looking to solve.

Where is the Smart Switch for business CRM data?

Business and advanced users need something similar to Smart Switch that can handle their complete data set. The most important data for business professionals is their address book, notes about their dealings with clients, and their calendar management system.

Productivity seekers will also need to transfer their task management system like Franklin Covey or Getting Things Done. Advanced users have a system to store all this information on a desktop productivity suite like Microsoft Office Outlook or a CRM system like Act!, GoldMine, Business Contact Manager, or Salesforce.com. They prefer to store this info on the desktop because of the innate security with local storage and quick UI. These tools are designed to hold all business data in one integrated database.

Smart Switch isn’t going to work with these productivity suites, nor will it sync the advanced data that businesses need. For example, Contact Categories, Tasks Priorities, Task Alerts, Notes, and Client History are all advanced CRM data fields that most consumers don’t care about, but business people depend on.

CompanionLink has a Smart Switch equivalent for Outlook and CRM systems

CompanionLink has developed a suite of utilities that work with legacy and modern versions of Microsoft Outlook and other popular PC and Cloud CRM systems. The apps are the #1 downloaded utility for CRM data because of our reputation to stay ahead of device announcements. This guarantees synchronziation always works with cutting-edge phones like Galaxy S6 from day one of public availability.

Find more information about the data CompanionLink supports by selecting the business productivity system you use from the list below. CompanionLink is designed to be an on-going sync and not just transfer. This means updates on the device will automatically sync back to the CRM system.

Microsoft Outlook
Act!
Palm Desktop
Lotus Notes
GroupWise
GoldMine
Time & Chaos
Salesforce CRM

Demystifying the versions of Office Outlook for PCs, Phones, and Tablets

Posted on by Rushang

Microsoft is unleashing a bevy of names and editions of the next version of Microsoft Office Outlook. It’s hard to understand which version of Outlook you will need on PC, Mac, phones, and tablets.

Here are a list of known platforms on which the next version of Outlook will be available.

PC – desktops and laptops running Windows 10
Phones – iPhone, Android, Windows-based phones
Tablets – iPad, Android tablets
Special Tablets – Surface tablets, other tablets running Windows OS 10

Next, let’s list every brand name that Microsoft has used so far to describe the next version of Office Outlook.

Outlook 2016
Outlook for Mac 15
Outlook Mail for Windows 10
Mail for Windows 10
Windows 10 Mail app
Outlook for iOS
Outlook for Android
Outlook Web App for Office 365

Outlook 2016

This comes as part of the conventional Office productivity desktop suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) that we have used in the past. Outlook 2016 has a refreshed UI, tight OneDrive integration for cloud document management, and a machine-learning algorithm that learns how to “de-clutter” your inbox.

This suite is for people who want the full Outlook experience (Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, and Categories working seamlessly together) on their desktops and laptops like in years past. Pricing tiers are unannounced. Availability is Fall 2015 with no specific date yet.

Outlook for Mac 15 (aka: Outlook for Mac 2015, New Outlook for Mac)

This is the Office productivity suite for Mac users. It is designed to take advantage of Retina displays and Full Screen views available in modern Macs. Microsoft is promoting this version as a convergence in feature-set with the PC Office 2016. The prior version (Office for Mac 2011) took a public beating because it failed to do things that its PC counterpart could do.

Availability is scheduled for the second half of 2015.

Outlook Mail for Windows 10 (aka: Mail for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mail app)

This is a basic and feature-lite version of Outlook. It comes pre-installed on phones and tablets running Windows 10. These are Microsoft’s phones, Surface tablets, and other small tablets designed by other manufacturers that will support Windows 10. This lite version of Outlook gives you Mail and Calendar functionality. There are no Contacts, Tasks, or Notes in this feature-lite version. Support for Categories is unknown. The UI is streamlined when compared to Outlook 2016 for desktops. You can connect to EAS, Office 365, Gmail, and Yahoo accounts.

Here’s a video that shows the app.

Outlook for iOS (iPhone and iPad)

This app is available from iTunes App Store for free. It handles Mail, People (ie – contacts), and Calendar. People is limited to view-only data. This means you can search and view contact details of people in your address book, but you cannot add, edit, or delete records. There are no Categories or sort options.

Outlook for Android

This app is available from Google Play Store for free. Like its sibling iOS app, it handles Mail, People, and Calendar. People is view-only, no Categories, and no sort.

Outlook Web App (aka: OWA, OWA for Office 365)

This is the online version of Outlook that can be accessed from any desktop or mobile browser. If you have Office 365, you navigate to a web page to log in. If your organization used Exchange, they would provide you with a URL and credentials to log in to the Exchange Server.

The web interface handles Mail, Calendar, People, and Tasks. Categories and Notes do not work.

Microsoft also released native apps for iOS and Android called Outlook Web App. This was Microsoft’s recommended method to access Outlook on mobile devices prior to their recent native Outlook apps for iOS and Android. Page This ZDNet article claims Microsoft is planning to sunset these OWA apps in favor of the new Outlook apps for iOS and Android.

“…Microsoft plans to “sunset” Outlook Web Apps and the Outlook.com app for iOS and Android by summer, officials said.” (Source)

If you have heard of any other names used to describe the next Office Outlook, please share that with us in the Comments section.

Kies replacement for Galaxy S6

Posted on by Rushang

We tested Kies with our new Galaxy S6. I can confirm reports by other bloggers that Kies no longer works with Galaxy S6. If you are looking to simply move data from another phone to S6, Samsung recommends their Smart Switch app. It uses their cloud to move Contacts, Calendar, Call Logs, Wallpapers, WiFi settings, and other information between two phones. It works wells for a one-time transfer of data.

Kies replacement for Galaxy S6 Outlook sync

Unfortunately, moving information between phones doesn’t solve one of the main features of Kies – two-way Microsoft Outlook synchronization. People who want to connect their desktop Outlook data with the new Galaxy S6 are left in the dark without Kies. Those who manage business clients, calendar meetings, and notes need a Kies alternative so they can continue getting productivity from their new S6.

CompanionLink is offering the only Kies replacement for Galaxy S6 that will sync via USB, WiFi, or Cloud. The options may get overwhelming, so we offer free telephone technical support so that you can call and speak to an expert. CompanionLink has been downloaded more than 1.2 million times and has earned the trust of writers for USAToday.com and a 4.9-star review on our Google page.

How to sync Galaxy S6 with Outlook

  1. Download the 14-day trial of CompanionLink for Outlook
  2. In Settings, choose Android.
  3. Select the sync protocol from the options (Direct USB, Local WiFi, or DejaCloud).
  4. Download our free DejaOffice app on the Galaxy S6. You can find it in the Play Store on the device.
  5. During the DejaOffice setup wizard, select the same sync protocol you chose in Step 3 above.

Resources for how to set up Galaxy S6 Outlook sync

Setup Guides

Contact us if you have any questions or need further help. Our support staff is in-house and available by phone (+1 503-243-5200) and by email support.

The case for data security and a commitment to Galaxy and PC connectivity

We see things as a hierarchy. No one wants to lose what they had before. While the cloud is great, we don’t want to force people to use it when they are comfortable with traditional options that gave them and their data a secure path

So for us, USB sync is fundamental because it is a foundation technology that many business professionals rely on to secure their data between their PC and phones.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth build on that because they are local, although both are OTA technologies which could be captured by local listening.

We also have our own cloud service, DejaCloud, that offers an automatic connection between your Galaxy S6 and PC Outlook. A change made in either Outlook or the S6 will automatically trigger an update to the other location. DejaCloud handles multiple devices (ie – iPad and Galaxy S6) like a champion. It’s designed to be real-time so you are guaranteed to always have access to the most current data.

Our commitment remains to all these technologies on as many phones as we can, including the exciting new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.