Microsoft Outlook contacts and calendar on Surface Tablet

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Rushang

CompanionLink supports two-way sync of Outlook with Microsoft Surface. The Surface ships with Windows RT which delivers the core Windows 8 OS without the ability to run full-blown PC applications. Consequently, the Surface does not run Microsoft Office Outlook. Instead, Microsoft wants you to run their cloud-based Mail app, which is linked to your new “Microsoft Account”.

CompanionLink has a way to synchronize your PC Outlook contacts and calendar to your Microsoft Account, which will sync with your Surface Tablet’s Mail app. For just $14.95, you can have your Outlook data on your Surface.

Disable Outlook Calendar alarms when syncing to Android or iPhone

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Rushang

If your Calendar Events in Outlook have alarms, and you don’t want these alarms to drive you crazy on your phone, you can disable them. There are two ways to disable Calendar alarms.

1. In the DejaOffice app, go to Settings > Alarm Settings. Uncheck the box next to DejaOffice Alarms.

2. In CompanionLink, go to Advanced Settings > Calendar. Uncheck the box for syncing alarms.

Either option will ensure your Outlook Calendar alarms don’t ring on your phone.

ACT! versions that work on Windows 8

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Rushang

This account is our QA team’s experience and is not in any way a definitive guide. We offer it as it may assist others to set expectations with the new Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise operating systems. Windows 8 RT for Surface is a tablet OS and is not presumed to run the ACT! application. We will confirm this when our Surface device arrives.

Testing Environment

ACT! 2013 was tested on a new PC: Athlon II X4 645 3.1GHz 64-bit , 4GB DDR3 RAM, Windows 8 Pro 64-bit.

All other tests: Intel Xeon E5520 2.27GHz 64-bit, 2GB RAM, Windows 8 Pro running in VMWare 5.0.0.812388

ACT! versions that work on Windows 8 without issues

ACT! 6
ACT! 2009 and 2010 – works fine, but you are shown an error message during installation. “This program has compatibility issues (Microsoft SQL Server 2005)”. When running ACT! and upgrading a database we noted the message: “Exceptions occurred while executing the database Schema Update Script”. Database seemed to successfully update.
ACT! 2011
ACT! 2012
ACT! 2013

ACT! versions that do not work with Windows 8
ACT! 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 – these do not install correctly on Windows 8. An error message is generated that reads “This app cannot run on your PC”.

CompanionLink works with all versions of ACT! 3.0 and higher.

CompanionLink supports mobile sync on Windows 8

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Rushang

CompanionLink fully supports data synchronization on the new Windows 8 operating system and Metro UI. CompanionLink will sync Android, iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini, and Google web-based accounts to Windows 8.

All CompanionLink version 5 products have built-in support for Windows 8. CompanionLink install as a Tile in Metro UI. Customers with older versions CompanionLink can upgrade to version 5 at a discount in order for complete support for Windows 8 and future Microsoft service packs.

CompanionLink installs as a Tile in Windows 8 Metro UI

CompanionLink installs as Tile in Metro UI

The full line of desktop products that we support in previous Windows versions are also supported in Windows 8:

Microsoft Outlook, including the new Outlook 2013
Microsoft Outlook Business Contact Manager
Palm Desktop
ACT!
Lotus Notes
GroupWise
GoldMine
Time & Chaos

Salesforce CRM Accounts sync to mobile devices and Google

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Rushang

CompanionLink has always synchronized Salesforce CRM Contacts and Accounts to mobile devices, Outlook, or any Google or Gmail account. Accounts show up on the device as a Contact record with the organization/company field mapped to the Account name in Salesforce CRM.

In CompanionLink Professional 5 build 5044 and later, we have expanded field-mapping options when synchronizing Accounts. We introduced a new tab in CompanionLink called Account Field Mapping that allows you to map any/all of your Salesforce CRM Account fields with your choice contact fields on the mobile device.

Must-know guide for moving from BlackBerry to Android

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Rushang

Business professionals cannot afford to lose data during a move to Android. This guide helps you reliably move email, business relationships, calendar agenda, to-do lists, notes, and text messages from BlackBerry to any Android phone or tablet.

Email

Android’s email app supports Exchange, IMAP, POP3, and Google/Gmail accounts. This lets you to set up virtually any email service. Here is a basic guide to set up email on Android. If you need incoming/outgoing server details about your specific email service, do a Google search for your service’s name followed by “IMAP settings”.

Here are settings for some popular email services:
Yahoo! – https://mobile.yahoo.com/mail/android (click on the IMAP tab)
AOL – https://email.about.com/od/accessingaolmail/f/AOL_Mail_IMAP_Settings.htm
Hotmail – https://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/hotmail/mobile?t1=t4

Contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes

You can use one free app to move all of this data. CompanionLink has software that will sync Outlook with Android.

Step 1: Use BlackBerry Desktop Software to backup your BlackBerry data to Microsoft Outlook.

Step 2: Download a free 14-day trial of CompanionLink for Outlook to your PC. Configure it to sync Outlook to Android using the DejaCloud service. Here is how your setup should look when configured correctly. (If you want to continue synchronizing Android with Outlook after the 14-day trial is over, you can buy a license for $14.95.)

Step 3: Click the Sync button in CompanionLink and watch your Outlook data move to your Android.

Text messages

David Hope has developed a free tool that moves SMS text messages from BlackBerry to Android. The tool is available at https://hope.mx/blackberry2droid.

Get it right the first time by hiring a professional to do it for you

CompanionLink offers a $49 service where a migration expert will log into your PC and move your data from BlackBerry to Android. The service is called RunStart and has been used by hundreds of business professionals to safely move their data to Android without data corruption or data loss.

If you have any questions about moving to the Android platform, email us at sales@companionlink.com.

S3 Mini means business (and competition for iPhone 5)

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Rushang

Samsung UK just announced the Galaxy S III Mini. The specs pose the device as direct competition to iPhone 5. Both devices have a 4″ display, and this is perhaps Samsung’s way of telling Apple and the world that if you want the “mini” experience, the choice you have is iPhone 5 and S3 Mini. If you want an upgraded experience from “mini”, Samsung offers a slew of devices like the S3, Nexus, and others.

S3 Mini ships with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), a dual-core CPU, and the TouchWiz interface. It also includes all the great features people have come to enjoy with Samsung – S Voice, Smart Stay, Direct Call, and S Beam.

A lot of business users will be enticed by the smaller, more compact form factor of the S3 Mini. It’s small enough to put in your shirt pocket or operate with one hand. For big travelers, this could be key.

CompanionLink will support USB and Cloud sync to S3 Mini with Outlook, ACT!, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes, GroupWise, Highrise, Salesforce CRM, Zoho CRM, and SugarCRM.

Update: Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple) in a recent interview said Apple became arrogant with the assumption that one size fits all. Wozniak said people have different needs, and the iPhone 5 doesn’t offer people options by shipping with only one screen size. This favorably positions Samsung’s Galaxy devices because they come in different sizes for different people. The S3 Mini has the same 4″ screen size as the iPhone 5, allowing people to operate their device with one hand. The Galaxy S3 device has a 4.8″ screen, which gives people more real estate on their screen. The Galaxy Note 2 has a 5.5″ screen size for those wanting even more.

Samsung adds Galaxy Express and Rugby Pro to Android line-up

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Rushang

AT&T announced they will carry the Samsung Galaxy Express and Samsung Rugby Pro devices this winter holiday season. The Galaxy Express is a mass-market device that will run Ice Cream Sandwich. The Rugby Pro is a military-grade Android device that is waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. It sports Push-to-talk, a 4-inch screen, and full device encryption. (Anyone with more clarity on what “full device encryption” means, please send an email to us at social@companionlink.com.)

CompanionLink will offer sync for both the Galaxy Express and the Rubgy Pro.

Galaxy S4 coming February 2013. CompanionLink will sync with S4.

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Rushang

Fresh on the heels of the iPhone 5 announcement, Samsung announces the Galaxy S IV device will debut February 2013 at the Mobile World Congress.

The Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S3 have been two of the most popular devices for business users buying CompanionLink. We expect that trend to continue with the upcoming Galaxy S4. The phone is the closest one-to-one competitor of iPhone 5 in terms of features and reputation. The S4 is built for business and pleasure. CompanionLink and our companion DejaOffice app for Android adds to the “business” side of the equation by enabling features missing on S2 and S3 (and presumably S4), such as:

database encryption
logging business notes after incoming phone calls
business-focused view and sort options for Contacts
color-coded categories that match systems like Microsoft Outlook
one-click setting to keep business and personal data separate on device

Our website will have all the latest on Galaxy S4 support as the launch nears.

How Will You Sync the iPhone 5?

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Andy Sheragy

Most of the tech news today is focused on Apple’s announcement of the new iPhone 5. The new device is stunning and we’re just as excited as you to get our hands on one. As we have with each new iPhone release, CompanionLink is fully committed to supporting sync with the iPhone 5 as soon as it’s available. What exactly does that mean?

DejaOffice – A Complete CRM for iPhone 5

DejaOffice is a business-friendly CRM app for the new iPhone 5 that includes contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, and expense capabilities. Why use DejaOffice instead of the native iPhone 5 apps? It’s simple: DejaOffice was built to support advanced CRMs like Sage ACT!, Lotus Notes, Salesforce.com, and Outlook Business Contact Manager (just to name a few).

DejaOffice supports color-coded categories. Many CRM systems use color categorization to keep data organized. CompanionLink supports the syncing of categories and their respective colors to DejaOffice on the iPhone 5, allowing you to filter and sort your records by category.
DejaOffice keeps your private data safe and secure – password protect sensitive records in your database. Records can be masked with asterisks ******** or hidden completely.
Link contacts with calendar events, tasks, notes, and expenses like a true CRM. Linked records sync back to your CRM with the link intact.
DejaOffice allows your data to sync with the native Apple contacts and calendar, so features like caller ID and calendar alarms still work fine.

We’re currently working on adapting DejaOffice to the larger screen on the iPhone 5. We’ll be ready for launch day!

CompanionLink is iCloud-friendly

iCloud has been a success for Apple ever since it launched not too long ago. This is great if you work from a Mac, but what if your business data is in a CRM like ACT! or Palm Desktop?

CompanionLink can sync your PIM or CRM data to the iCloud folders in Microsoft Outlook. This means that your data will automatically sync with the iCloud service and your new iPhone 5, allowing you to access your business data while benefiting from the convenience of iCloud.

iCloud is great as long as you stay within Apple’s ecosystem, but what if you want to venture out and pick up an Android tablet or Kindle Fire? CompanionLink is currently working on our own cross-platform cloud service call DejaCloud. When it becomes available, DejaCloud will allow you to keep your PC, iPhone 5, and Android devices all seamlessly in sync. We expect DejaCloud to become available for iPhone 5 this winter!

The Best Fit for your CRM

CompanionLink can sync iPhone 5 with a wide variety of PIM and CRM databases. DejaOffice preserves your CRM data, and makes it easily accessible, even when offline. Why choose CompanionLink and DejaOffice for your CRM?

iPhone 5 with Sage ACT!
-No record limits
-Activities can be completed on the phone
-Supports proper international dialing formats
-Categories are set based on ID/Status or any other ACT! field
-Contact links to activities are preserved

iPhone 5 with Outlook Business Contact Manager
-Select which BCM folders you wish to sync with
-Syncs contact links from calendar events and tasks
-Supports Outlook category colors on the phone

iPhone 5 with Lotus Notes
-Syncs all Lotus Notes data, including custom recurring types
-Supports Lotus Notes categories
-No Domino server required

CompanionLink works with many other CRM databases in addition to the ones mentioned above. CompanionLink starts at $14.95 and comes with free email and phone support. To purchase CompanionLink, download a free trial, or for more information, please visit:
www.companionlink.com/iphone/

Forbes.com article includes CompanionLink in Top 9 Apps for Salespeople

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Rushang

This is a big day for CompanionLink. Gene Marks, contributor for Forbes.com, mentioned CompanionLink in the same article as some heavyweights such Amazon, Evernote, and Square. The article is about Gene’s top 9 apps that he recommends salespeople must have on their smartphones.

This is not a new company or two dudes working out of a garage. My clients and I have used CompanionLink’s products for a decade. I also like the fact that they’re not in bed with any one software maker – they make synching products for them all.

CompanionLink has always felt there is strong value in offer mobile business professionals a reliable and platform-agnostic way to integrate their phones with their business contacts, agenda, and notes. Our mantra has always been “Your data, your device.” We’re proud to support the entire spectrum of major mobile platforms and let you choose which device to use and how you wish you keep your data integrated. We do it with integrity and without farming or selling your data to advertisers because we feel that’s what business professionals really want.

Today’s mention by Gene was a testimonial for our mission. Thank you, Gene.

The killer feature Windows Phone 8 needs to make a dent in the smartphone wars

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Rushang

Android is the brand of choices. They let you pick your carrier, color, and device maker. Android offers options and flexibility. Apple iPhone is the brand for a magical ecosystem that works in harmony if you use their phone, apps, and computers. The user experience is unparalleled.

And Windows Phone plans to make a dent…?

They can indeed. The answer lies in looking at the past and coming to terms with their core. Once upon a time, people preferred the old Microsoft Windows Mobile devices over popular BlackBerry and Palm Treo options because of the tight integration Microsoft delivered with business software like Exchange, ActiveSync, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and other business apps. Windows Mobile shipped with a fluent user experience (much like Apple today) if you lived within Microsoft’s software, back-end, and phones.

The key to Windows Phone 8 making a dent is to reintroduce tight integration to their own business software suite of Microsoft Office. It’s surprising (and ridiculous) this even needs to be stated. Here’s an 86-page(!) and growing thread of frustrated people who just want their old ActiveSync desktop client back for plain old USB sync between a Windows Phone and Microsoft Outlook. This is yester-year’s technology folks! No breakthrough needed — just bring it back!

In the push towards cloudifying everything, Microsoft has forgotten their past. At their core, they are a company focused on the productivity audience. MS Office is still their breadwinner and still the go-to app for people at work, home, school, fill in the blank…

Just a thought.