How Does DejaOffice Compare to the Salesforce Android app?

The DejaOffice advantage is clear. The first thing presented to you upon launching DejaOffice for the first time is a user-friendly Setup Wizard. Compare this with the ominous license agreement you see as soon as your open the Salesforce Android app, and you’ll see that DejaOffice is designed to be easy to use and intuitive from the very beginning. Additionally, the Salesforce Android app demands that you enter your passcode every time you launch it, which quickly becomes a tedious ritual. Finally, the Salesforce Android app is only free for 30 days!

The DejaOffice Advantage

• DejaOffice synchronizes and integrates with the native Android address book
• No required fields during the creation of contacts and events
• Multiple calendar views are available
• No mandatory passcode that you must enter, upon app launch
• DejaOffice has free technical support via phone and web, even without a license

If you want a mobile CRM which seamlessly syncs with Salesforce and takes advantage of all that the Android platform has to offer, look no further than DejaOffice.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Sync with Outlook

As we noted last month, CompanionLink is ready, willing and able to sync Outlook with the entire Galaxy line, including the new Samsung Galaxy S4. The S4 has some very impressive specs, and a handful of very innovative new features – but at the end of the day, what matters is that you have an easy to use, functional tool which helps you to organize your life. If you want to have your Samsung Galaxy S4 Sync with Outlook, CompanionLink’s app DejaOffice for Android makes this a reality.

About DejaOffice and CompanionLink

• DejaOffice is a free app available in the Google Play store that enables CompanionLink to sync with your Samsung Galaxy device.
• Sync Outlook calendar, contacts, tasks, notes and journal entries to your device over WIFI, DejaCloud, via Google, or USB.
• DejaOffice offers a fully featured calendar for your Samsung Galaxy device which supports all functional elements of the Microsoft Outlook® calendar.
• Online setup guides are available here, in addition to free phone support.

Start your 14 day free trial today, and find your missing sync!

All Syncs are Not Created Equal

For users who prefer a free, albeit very limited Google to Outlook synchronization process, there are a few solutions. It is possible to set up a new IMAP account within Microsoft Outlook, which can be connected with a Gmail account. However, this does not support full synchronization of existing Outlook data. Instructions for this process can be found here. A free program named Contacts Sync also exists, but “it appears to ignore Gmail entries without data in the last-name or e-mail fields,” according to Dennis O’Reilly of CNET. Neither of these free work-arounds appear to be a viable solution for business-oriented environments, in which data integrity is of critical importance.

Additionally, Google recently discontinued its free offering of its App Sync, which has left many people wondering what the best way is to sync Gmail with Outlook.  Though this option is still available for paid users of Google Apps for Business, this may be cost prohibitive at $50 per year for every user.

Sync Gmail with Outlook via CompanionLink

• CompanionLink was designed for professionals who require functionality, reliability and performance.
• No changes to your existing Outlook account are needed.
• CompanionLink for Google offers a fully featured method to sync Gmail with Outlook data (PST files) — Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks are supported.
• Your license is a one time fee; there is no expensive recurring cost.
• Sync Gmail with Outlook free for two weeks, when you start your trial.
• Free, detailed setup guides are also available for this process.

These facts and more make CompanionLink for Google the clear choice for your sync!

Let’s just say the late Dr. Stephen Covey might not approve of this.

BlackBerry 10 ships with an app called Remember that nicely organizes notes and tasks in one slick app. Think “Evernote meets [plug in any of the millions of Tasks apps available]“.

But the Remember app misses the mark on one key principle of any task management philosophy – prioritizing tasks!

The Remember app groups things into notebook icons. Each “notebook” can hold items like photos, lists, tasks, and web links. But the treatment for Tasks is like a plain text note – there are no task-focused features like priorities, recurring tasks, or task alerts.

Microsoft Outlook users will especially find this confusing because Outlook ships with task-focused features out-of-the-box. In fact, these features are what makes “task management” philosophies work because they require you to take a large set of things to do and organize them by priority.  Task management = prioritization.

If you want a Task Manager that works lock-step with your Outlook Tasks – including Task Priorities, Categories, and Alarms – download the free DejaOffice app for BlackBerry 10.

Hotmail Connector is a free add-in for Microsoft Outlook. I performed a test run of this add-in with my copy of Outlook here at the office during the course of my research yesterday, and was unable to get it to work. I was unable to find a contact phone number for support for this issue, and was directed by their website to self-help forums and a very expensive after-hours support package.

Regardless, this free tool is great at integrating the basic contact and calendar data from Hotmail accounts with Outlook for PC. An advanced user or business person will likely demand more functionality, however, as they depend on categories, task management, calendars and alarms to manage their work day. In addition, Outlook Hotmail Connector does not directly interface with a user’s existing PST file (a new PST must be created for the data to be imported). This is not desirable in a business setting, as the Hotmail contacts will not be automatically consolidated with the existing Outlook data.

Why is CompanionLink the Best Outlook Hotmail Connector Alternative for Business Professionals?

• CompanionLink allows you to sync Hotmail (Outlook.com) with your existing Outlook PST data file.
• Synchronization of tasks, categories, notes, and contact pictures are supported, unlike with Outlook Connector.
• CompanionLink for Outlook comes with free technical support over the phone.
• Outlook Connector was not designed specifically for business-oriented synchronization; it is primarily a way to view your Hotmail inbox within Microsoft Outlook.
• CompanionLink supports Outlook 2000 – 2013, in both 32 and 64 bit configurations.
• Outlook Connector does not allow support greater than 1,000 contacts, and recurring appointments may not be supported either.

Sync Microsoft Outlook with Outlook.com using CompanionLink as your Outlook Hotmail connector alternative, today! Click here for more information, including our fourteen day free trial offer.

*Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Two-Way Sync Between Outlook and Your Android

It is possible to import your Google calendar into Outlook using the ICAL protocol. However, performing two-way synchronization between your non-exchange Outlook calendar and an Android device can seem very difficult, as there is no fully featured proprietary solution from either Google or Microsoft at present. In addition, carrier or device specific solutions often fall short of expectations and do not offer free technical support over the phone.

Unlike the solutions our competitors offer, CompanionLink for Outlook supports seamless sync between Android and Outlook calendars with no add-ins or plug-ins required. Plus, free technical support via phone and email is available! Device specific calendar management apps, which are not supported on all Android smartphones, typically do not offer high integrity synchronization of additional conduits. These include Contacts, Tasks, Notes and Journal. CompanionLink’s free Android app, DejaOffice, supports all of these with a consistent user experience no matter what device it is installed on.

How to Sync Outlook Calendar with Android

CompanionLink for Outlook makes bi-directional sync with Android devices easy! Just perform the following steps (and be sure to view our Setup Guides for additional information):

1. Download and install the free two week free trial of CompanionLink for Outlook onto your PC, and download the DejaOffice CRM app onto your Android (available from the Play Store)
2. In CompanionLink for Outlook, set the “Device you want to sync with” to Android
3. Next, choose from seven possible sync methods (USB, WIFI, Cloud and Bluetooth options are available!)
4. From CompanionLink’s “Select your PC or web database” dropdown menu, choose Microsoft Outlook 2000 – 2013
5. Complete the DejaOffice Setup Wizard on your Android
6. Press “Sync”

For all of your Outlook and Android calendar sync needs, CompanionLink has you covered.

I chose CompanionLink, although it was the most expensive of the three options, based on the comparative amount and percentage of positive feedback I came across regarding it in my research.

CompanionLink’s setup was straightforward, and the results have so far been rock-solid. Its settings options (including numerous sync-cadence candidates) are abundant but intuitively understandable.

CompanionLink often appears more expensive than other low-cost solutions. We feel our free phone support, ability to use one user-license on three computers (ie, work desktop, home desktop, personal laptop), and our policy to not charge you every time you change phones actually makes CompanionLink the best value on the market.

But what of business oriented BB10 users who utilize Outlook without Exchange?

Sync Outlook with BlackBerry via USB or Cloud

CompanionLink offers two solutions for this scenario, as detailed below– Direct synchronization, and synchronization utilizing web-based services such as Gmail or Outlook.com.

1. Directly sync Outlook with BlackBerry contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, and categories:
   1. Install CompanionLink for Outlook onto your Windows PC.
   2. Set the sync method to either DejaCloud wireless sync or Direct USB.
   3. Configure email directly on the BB10 device, with POP3 or IMAP.
2. Sync Outlook to Gmail or Outlook.com, and then set up your BB10 accounts:
   1. Install CompanionLink for Outlook.
   2. Set CompanionLink to sync with either Google or Outlook.com, depending on which service you plan to use.
   3. Set up your BB10 device with your Gmail or Outlook.com account (Settings > Accounts > Email, Contacts, Calendar).

Why Direct Sync Between Outlook and BlackBerry is Preferable

CompanionLink recommends direct sync (solution 1 above), as solution 2 has the following drawbacks:

1. Your Outlook data will be hosted on Google, a company that makes money from targeted advertising.
2. Your data will not map one-to-one with fields offered in Google’s interface, possibly leading to data corruption.
3. Your data may be altered every time Google changes their web-based system.

Detailed information regarding sync options with BlackBerry 10 devices and Outlook is available on CompanionLink’s BB10 webpage.

CompanionLink already supports all Galaxy phones and tablets, including the popular S III. With the Galaxy S IV, CompanionLink extends their support of Samsung’s most popular line of smartphones for people using standalone Microsoft Outlook or other CRM tools like Salesforce CRM, ACT!, Lotus Notes, and Palm Desktop.

Multiple options for S4 Outlook sync

• USB sync
• DejaCloud push sync
• Wi-Fi sync
• Sync to Gmail or Google Apps

CompanionLink multiple protocols for S4 Outlook sync. Traditional USB sync is for those who prefer to connect their S4 with their PC. DejaCloud push sync is for those who desire a hands-free and over-the-air experience. DejaCloud is a new service offered by CompanionLink with emphasis on a private business cloud that does not sell or advertise users data like other large organizations. This service is for people focused on data security between Outlook and S4 devices.

Requirements

• CompanionLink for Outlook
• Microsoft Outlook 2000 or higher
• Windows 2000 or higher, or Mac OS X 10.7 or higher

More information can be found at www.companionlink.com/s4.

Software options to sync Gmail contacts with Outlook

CompanionLink for Google is a low-cost product designed to sync Gmail contacts with Outlook. It goes beyond just contacts though. CompanionLink will also sync:

• Outlook Categories with Google Contact Groups
• Contact photos
• Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar
• Outlook Tasks with Google Tasks

An “Auto Sync” setting lets you set CompanionLink to automatically interface with Google every 5 minutes. You can also set the time intervals to longer periods.

You may find other free options available. Pay close attention to which versions of Outlook they work with, whether or not they collect or advertise your data, and if the software requires special Outlook set up so Outlook doesn’t consider access to Outlook Contacts a malicious attempt.

Also key in your decision is to see if software is backed by phone support. Business-class software to sync Gmail contacts with Outlook should come with free phone support.