Author Archives: Rushang

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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

  1. Sync contacts, calendar, tasks, and categories with one app
  2. Supports Office 365, Outlook 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000
  3. Free US-based technical support by phone and email
  4. Map Outlook Categories to multiple Google Calendars
  5. Works with Outlook folders or subfolders
  6. Supports Exchange setups with Public Folders
  7. Works with any free Gmail or Google account and Google Apps accounts
  8. Automatic sync
  9. One license allows installation on 3 PCs
  10. 90-day money-back guarantee
  11. 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.

CompanionLink cures Google Calendar Sync Error 2016

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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?

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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.

Multiple appointments are hard to see on Fire Phone Calendar Month view

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.

Fire Phone stock calendar app missing Timezone

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

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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

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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.

Act! with Office 365

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

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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.

Sync to People and Calendar apps in Microsoft Office Online

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Microsoft rebranded their online Office app suite as Office Online. It was previously the product known as Office Web Apps. They introduced a new home page with tiles of the apps you have access to online – People, Calendar, Email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and the new OneDrive document and file storage service.

This rebranding does not change CompanionLink’s two-way sync with the People and Calendar apps for Office 365, Outlook.com, and Office Online accounts. The only difference is that People and Calendar are now accessible tiles in the Office Online interface.

Sync to People and Calendar apps in Office Online

Connect Outlook 2010, 2007, and 2003 with Office 365 and Office Online

For people running desktop MS Outlook 2010 and prior, CompanionLink offers the missing connection to Office Online and Office 365 accounts. These versions of Outlook have no way to automatically integrate desktop contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes with Microsoft’s cloud. CompanionLink for Outlook is a plug-in that automates the integration between Microsoft’s cloud and Outlook 2010, 2007, and 2003. Here is a setup guide that shows you how to configure PC Outlook to Office Online and Office 365.

CompanionLink syncs to People and Calendar apps in Office Online

How to Sync Samsung Galaxy S5 with Outlook

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“Even though we’re doing the software business, we’re not as good as we are in hardware,” said Kwon Oh-hyun, vice chairman and chief executive of Samsung Electronics.

A big problem for Samsung is maintaining software that synchronizes with desktop Microsoft Outlook. Their KIES product ran into great trouble when it omitted sync for Outlook Contacts and Calendar. Those who have tried KIES are left demanding the “rest of their Outlook data” – like tasks, notes, alarms, and categories.

If you use Outlook, you’ll want an advanced Outlook app for GS5 that lets you access your full Outlook database. You’ll want a guarantee that when you update records on your phone, they also update MS Outlook on your PC.

Will the fifth incarnation of the Galaxy S device muster enough software wizardry to make Outlook sync easy? In the past, Samsung has been off the mark, as noted by Marc Saltzman in his review on USAToday.com. He turned to CompanionLink to solve his Android sync problems.

The components of reliable Outlook sync

One key driver of CompanionLink’s reliability is that we develop our own Android app to hold the Outlook data structures. Our app, DejaOffice for Outlook, lets us establish a one-to-one map with Outlook data fields. You can also integrate Outlook data stored DejaOffice with the Galaxy S5’s Contacts and S Planner if you have other apps that rely on these stock Android apps.

Galaxy S5 Outlook Sync

More than one way to sync Outlook with GS5

If you value data privacy and prefer not to host your client notes or address book in the cloud, CompanionLink offers the USB connected sync option. Simply dock the Galaxy S5 to your PC and synchronize in a cloud-free environment. Your data never leaves the wired connection between you PC and S5.

If you have multiple devices (GS5, Galaxy Note 3 tablet, Apple iPad, etc.) and wish to automate the sync across all devices, you can select the DejaCloud option that comes with CompanionLink paid licenses. The cloud ensures data is automatically updated on all PCs and devices using the same account.

If you want the convenience of hands-free sync with the security of a cloud-free system, chose the WiFi sync option. This setting automatically pairs your S5 with the PC running Outlook using your WiFi connection. Your phone and PC must be on the same WiFi network (like in your home or office).

More information about Galaxy S5 Outlook sync is available here.

USATODAY.com review votes DejaOffice and CompanionLink as best Android Sync app for Outlook

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We are thrilled to share a raving review about our Android Sync products. Marc Saltzman, writer for USATODAY.com, stumbled upon CompanionLink when his frustration with other Android to Outlook sync solutions came to a peak. He found other products to sync incomplete Outlook data or have complicated setups.

Then, he found our Android Outlook app, DejaOffice.

“DejaOffice was able to accomplish what others could not: smooth, reliable and quick syncing between Android and Microsoft Outlook.”

“You don’t need a degree in computer engineering to set it up.”

Marc hits squarely on a sensitive topic for people who used legacy phones and PDAs like BlackBerry and Palm. Traditionally, Outlook sync was an afterthought for mobile users because Outlook integration was bundled with their device purchase. Palm shipped a CD with Outlook sync software. BlackBerry included their reliable Desktop Software companion with every device.

Android buyers weren’t so lucky. During Android’s toddler years, no manufacturer bundled software for Outlook integration. Samsung, for example, has since developed a tool called Kies to address the uproar by Outlook users. However, upkeep of the tool has proved difficult and fragmented as Kies updates often break Outlook integration. The reliability of these tools also vary from device to device and are inconsistent with the Outlook fields they support because every device has different pre-installed PIM apps.

The CompanionLink and DejaOffice platform for Android really shines because it works and looks the same across all Android devices and restores reliable Outlook integration that people expect to come with their device. People are free to choose the security of USB connected synchronization or the flexibility of Cloud synchronization through CompanionLink’s secure DejaCloud service, Google or other cloud services. This allows people to customize their experience to their business requirements.

Marc’s review emotes the frustration millions of Outlook users face when they realize their $300 phone investment doesn’t integrate easily with desktop Outlook. CompanionLink agrees that reliable Outlook synchronization should come in-the-box with your phone purchase. Until then, CompanionLink has a product that millions, like Marc, can use to turn their $300 investment into a productivity tool that works with Outlook.