One question which remains unanswered for many business professionals who use Outlook and have a BlackBerry Z10 is “How do I sync Outlook with BlackBerry?” For Exchange Server users, this process is greatly simplified via ActiveSync. Exchange allows calendar, contacts and email to be directly integrated, with no additional software required.

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.