JUMP! needs the Cloud to jump-start new devices

Posted on by Rushang

People using JUMP! will need an efficient way to move personal and business data from one device to another. A cloud-based data hub like Google (currently free, ad-supported), Outlook.com (currently free, ad-supported), or DejaCloud (currently free, no ads) is the answer because they enable calendar, address book, notes, and task lists to move from one device to another with just a username.  People who are averse to hosting data in the Cloud can opt for CompanionLink’s USB software to move their data.

Why JUMP! changes everything

On July 11, 2013, T-Mobile announced a radical change to how often people can upgrade devices.  Their JUMP! upgrade program allows existing customers to swap devices two times in 12 months for the same low price that new customers receive. For example, if you own an iPhone 5 and want to switch to a Samsung Galaxy S4, JUMP! allows this for the same price (currently $99 on T-Mobile’s website) that new customers receive. Essentially, you can trade-in for a new smartphone every 6 months for about $100.

Wow, talk about a game-changing move.

This raises the bar for other wireless carriers and reinforces how people yearn to consume new mobile hardware. With the pace of new devices increasing (Moore’s law on steroids), T-Mobile is simply offering a way for people to rent their device instead of owning it for  waiting archaically long (two years) to upgrade.

Who benefits the most from JUMP!

Business professionals and consumers who want to frequently upgrade devices or use the latest-and-greatest will love JUMP!. The plan allows them to “lease” devices instead of being locked into the ownership of one device every 24 months.

T-Mobile’s offer appears to be a win-win because customers get to switch phones at a low price while T-Mobile still carries customers for a 2-year term, which resets with every phone upgrade. History points to win-win situations sticking around for a long time, and changing the game.

Disposable devices just got one step closer to reality.

CompanionLink supports the invasion of Samsung Galaxy S4 Devices

Posted on by Rushang

Samsung has announced or launched four Galaxy S4 devices in the past 60 days: Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Zoom, and Galaxy S4 Active. While there is little or no common denominator from a design perspective, you can’t blame Samsung for trying to capitalize on their marketing dollars devoted to Galaxy S — the most popular Android brand. CompanionLink supports synchronization with the entire line of S4 devices. CompanionLink can synchronize one device to another, sync PC applications like Outlook with S4, or sync cloud applications like Salesforce CRM, Highrise, and Zoho CRM.

The Galaxy S4 is the flagship phone. Samsung markets it as a Life Companion to emote new fun features like Dual Shot for simultaneous front-and-back pictures, S Translator for spoken language translation, and Smart Pause for intelligent pausing of video when you look away.

The Galaxy S4 Mini is a smaller version of the Galaxy S4. It’s screen is 4.3-inch compared to the S4’s 5-inch screen size. Other specs on the S4 Mini are RAM also different than the S4. Here’s a full list of differences.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom sports a 16MP camera and optical zoom lens.

The Galaxy S4 Active is a certified water-resistant and dust-resistant device marketed as the perfect companion for the beach, pool, camping, or people on the go.

Samsung spent more on marketing their mobile devices than Apple last year, and they are reaping the benefits of extending

Salesforce Android App

Posted on by Rushang

The future of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) lies in the Cloud. Google, Microsoft and many other prolific tech companies offer Cloud storage as well as related web-based business solutions. Salesforce is clearly the leader in purely Cloud based CRM solutions. They offer a professional, communication oriented solution tailored for the information age, free from bloatware and lengthy software install procedures. A quick glance through their website will reveal the prominently displayed slogan “No Software!” It should come as no surprise, then, that Salesforce’s entire business model is web based. The drawback of this is obvious: the Salesforce Android app is not particularly robust or as functional as the Salesforce website. DejaOffice, the free mobile CRM app from CompanionLink, is a great alternative for Salesforce users seeking a solution custom tailored for the Android experience.

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!

DejaOffice for Android Syncs with Salesforce

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.

Sync Gmail with Outlook

Posted on by Rushang

Email accounts (and related services) are all about communication. Companies both large and small depend on contact lists, calendar entries, and tasks within programs such as Microsoft Outlook for effective communication and time management. It is essential for this communication to extend beyond one application – and even beyond computers as a platform. In this day and age, smartphones, tablets, PDAs, and phablets have become essential tools of communication with customers and co-workers, thanks to companies such as Google. So, how do you sync Gmail with Outlook?

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.

CompanionLink Syncs Gmail with Outlook

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!

BlackBerry 10 wants you to manage Tasks with Priorities

Posted on by Rushang

Q: What’s a task list without priorities?
A: Just a list.

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.

EDN gives CompanionLink great reviews for Outlook Google sync

Posted on by Rushang

Brian Dipert, writer for EDN Network, chose CompanionLink to sync Outlook with Google during an evaluation of sync tools available for this task.

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.

Sync Outlook with BlackBerry

Posted on by Rushang

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.

 

S4 Outlook Sync

Posted on by Rushang

CompanionLink will support Galaxy S4 Outlook sync from day one. Because most Galaxy devices do not ship with reliable Outlook sync software, CompanionLink’s products are used by thousands to synchronize Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, journal, categories, and contact photos with Galaxy devices like SIII and SIV.

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.

How to sync Gmail contacts with Outlook

Posted on by Rushang

The most reliable way to sync Gmail contacts with Outlook is to set up a system that automatically keeps both sides synchronized. If you add, delete, or edit a contact recording in Outlook or Gmail, the changes are synchronized automatically.

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.

sync-gmail-contacts-with-outlook

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.

How to sync Outlook Notes with Android

Posted on by Rushang

Sync Outlook Notes with Android

People who use Microsoft Outlook for business rely on the Outlook Notes feature.  Insurance agents, for example, will use Outlook Notes to document details about each claim. Outlook Notes can be attached to an Outlook Contact record, letting agents search for a contact and quickly see the notes they’ve made.  Agents can also sync Outlook Notes with Android phones and tablets using CompanionLink.

Steps to sync Outlook Notes with Android

  1. Download CompanionLink for Outlook. It’s free to try for 14 days.
  2. Configure it to sync Android with Microsoft Outlook. Make sure the Outlook Notes checkbox is checked.
  3. Click the Sync button.

CompanionLink for Outlook is a PC software product that synchronizes Outlook Notes with Android devices.  The sync is two-ways so changes made on the Android device or in Microsoft Outlook are always updated.  If you configure CompanionLink to use their DejaCloud service, all your data will synchronize over-the-air without the need to connect your Android device to your PC with cables.

DejaOffice app for Android stores Outlook Notes

CompanionLink works together with an Android app called DejaOffice.  The app stores Outlook Notes, Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks from your PC.  In the example above of our agent, links between Outlook Notes and Outlook Contacts are maintained on the Android, just like on PC Outlook.  Categories are also maintained, allowing you to map all of your Outlook Categories from your PC to your Android. DejaOffice is available from the Google Play Store.