Synchronization 
 

 

Introduction 

Implementing a synchronization solution can be one of the best measures you can take to make you more productive. In effect, you can carry the equivalent of your Rolodex, calendar, and notebook with you wherever you go and eliminate the need to rerecord on your PC the information you enter on your PDA and vice versa. You generally will sync data to achieve two goals as follows: 

1. You can sync data among the various computers and devices you use, or
2. You can sync data between computers and devices used by other people

 Syncing Examples:   

1. Sync your contacts, emails, calendar, and to do list with your hand held device.
2. Sync your contacts, emails, calendar, and to do list with your laptop computer.
3. Sync your contacts, emails, calendar, and to do list with your cellular phone.
4. Sync your contacts with a master contact file maintained by your company.

Hand Held Devices - Let’s face it, inputting large volumes of data into a hand held device such as a Palm Pilot or iPAQ is a tedious activity; it is much easier to input this information into a desktop computer using a full keyboard and large screen. Thereafter you can use a cradle to simply sync your desktop data with your hand held device. Once configured, it is as easy as plugging in your hand held device, and today’s syncing technologies update your information automatically.

SYNCing Products 

There are many syncing tools designed to keep your data in sync, a few of which are listed below: 

Microsoft ActiveSync
Palm's HotSync
Pumatech's Intellisync

ActiveSync - Microsoft's approach to synchronization started with H/PC Explorer, which was basically a Windows Explorer add-on that gave desktop users access to files and data on Windows CE 1.0-based handheld PCs (H/PCs). H/PC Explorer evolved into Windows CE Services for Windows CE 2.0 and Windows CE 2.1, then into ActiveSync for Windows CE 2.2, 3.x, and now PocketPC 2003 devices. Like HotSync, ActiveSync synchronizes data between desktop applications and Pocket PCs or other Windows CE-based PDAs. However, ActiveSync synchronizes only with Outlook (and the older Schedule+). The screen shot below shows a successful Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks synchronization with ActiveSync 3.1.

Required hardware depends on the device in question. You can use serial ports, the default for older devices; USB ports for newer devices; infrared ports; modems for dial-up access; or Ethernet PC-cards and CompactFlash cards for access over the corporate LAN. Microsoft doesn't provide a server-side synchronization product comparable to HotSync Server. The company relies on third-party developers and solution providers to extend the enterprise features of its Pocket PCs and other mobile devices. In my experience, ActiveSync is almost as reliable as HotSync. Occasionally, however, a user's PDA will refuse to synchronize with its host PC. You can usually solve this problem by rebooting the PDA and, if necessary, restarting Windows on the host PC.

Along with the release of the new OS for PocketPCs, Windows Mobile 5.0, Microsoft is also unveiling a new and improved version of ActiveSync. According to synthetic tests the synchronization speed has increased slightly by 10-15%. Data access speed has also skyrocketed. Even if  the connection drops out, the next connection will resume the process from that point. Windows Mobile 5.0 offers users new features such as the ability to sync pictures in contacts and wirelessly sync over Bluetooth®. Users can easily sync media files, playlists and song ratings right from Windows Media Player 10 Mobile on their desktop PC, and listen to them on their mobile device. The new OS adds support for integrated hard drives, allowing users to carry several gigabytes of music or information right on their phone or PDA, and provides added support for USB 2.0, which will greatly increase file transfer speeds and synchronization of information between PCs and Windows Mobile-based devices. End users now can take a picture from their phone and easily assign it to a contact for display not only in the Contacts application, but also in the caller ID window and e-mail message header when that contact calls or sends e-mail. Pictures also can be assigned on a PC in Outlook and synchronized to a user’s device.

 

Basic synchronization settings also increased in the new version. The user can now choose contact groups for synchronization and exclude separate contacts from the process. The same is true for Calendar and Tasks. To synchronize e-mail you can choose folders and subfolders.

Fear not however, because ActiveSync 4.0 supports devices that are not running Windows Mobile 5, but new features to ActiveSync (like the media sync feature) will not be available. The era of ActiveSync 3.x is OVER. Windows Mobile 5 introduces ActiveSync 4.0 which boasts a new style and new features, but also legacy support. ActiveSync 4.0 still supports old devices, but not to the same extent of Windows Mobile 5 devices. In ActiveSync 4.0, device setup is easier, USB 2.0 is supported, music and video transfer is supported, and improved error handling is integrated into the software. If you are thinking of upgrading your handheld or are purchasing for the first time, look for models running Windows Mobile 5 and ActiveSync 4.0.

Of course ActiveSync can still be synced over a Wireless connection but first the connection settings and synchronization must be achieved through a wired or serial connection for the initial setup. After partnership is established using a serial, Bluetooth, or USB connection, open the Connection Settings dialog box and check the box marked "allow network and Remote Access Service connection with this desktop computer. After closing the box, start ActiveSync on your device and tap the sync icon. If you connected to the same Wi-fi network as your host PC, synchronization should commence. The PocketPC will disconnect after synchronization to conserve battery power, but  you can also alter this setting by opening the Options dialog in the Tools menu.

HotSync - Palm initially designed HotSync to work with Palm Desktop, Palm's personal information manager (PIM). However, Palm quickly realized that supporting third-party desktop PIMs was crucial to convincing enterprises to accept the Pilot and its successor devices. To that end, Palm came up with conduits, a standard technology for translating data between Palm OS-based PDAs and various PIMs. Today, Palm's connected organizers work well out-of-the-box with most desktop PIMs, including Microsoft Outlook. For enterprise users and network administrators, Palm offers Network HotSync, an application that lets users synchronize their organizers across a network connection. The application still synchronizes only between users' Palm devices and users' desktop PCs but allows this synchronization across a LAN.

Palm also offers HotSync Server, a server-based application that includes a conduit for Microsoft Exchange Server, which lets you synchronize multiple PDAs from one server. (Conduits for Lotus Notes and Actual Software's MultiMail Professional are on the way.) HotSync Server supports synchronization with a serial cradle, a wired or wireless modem, and standard RJ-45 cabling and Palm's Ethernet Cradle to connect through the corporate LAN. In day-to-day use, I've found HotSync to be almost bulletproof. The only problems I've encountered with the product result from HotSync's methods for mapping fields from the PDA's built-in databases to fields on the desktop PIM. These problems are usually minor and inconsequential. For example, the mapping process might change delimiters (e.g., quotation marks) in names. In some cases, a PDA's space limitations might cause HotSync to truncate long notes.

Intellisync - If your company uses Pocket PCs and a different PIM or groupware application than Outlook, your users will need a third-party add-on to provide synchronization. Of such products, Intellisync is the most popular. Intellisync runs on both Palm and PocketPC platforms and synchronizes with a range of PIMs and enterprise email and groupware products, including various versions of Outlook, Schedule+, and Exchange Server; Symantec's ACT!; Lotus Organizer and Lotus Notes; Novell's GroupWise; Interact Commerce's SalesLogix; and Palm Desktop Software. Intellisync's power lies in its flexibility. The product lets the user select different desktop software with which to synchronize each of the PDAs' built-in databases. For example, you can synchronize contacts with ACT!, the calendar with Outlook, and email with Lotus Notes. Intellisync also lets the user modify how desktop application fields map to the PDA, a feature that both HotSync and ActiveSync lack.

USB Comment

When using the USB cradle or cable when syncing, make sure you use a root port on the USB tree; the Rex USB adapter is not powered, and a lower port doesn't have enough power. You may have to unplug it and plug it in once or twice until the driver develops the "mock serial port", but it does work.

Synchronizing Microsoft Outlook with a PDA - http://www.slipstick.com/addins/olpda.htm

Special thanks to Dave's Ipaq, Dave's PDA, Mobile Review, and PocketPC Thoughts for the screens from the as yet unreleased Windows Mobile 5.

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