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Help me sync contacts from one user to another over exchange?

vrdx — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:18:00 -0800

Help me figure out a CRM/Sync solution! I'm going crazy trying to figure out a good solution for a small firm; need to sync contacts, more inside... So, I've googled myself to pieces and need your guidance. I've got a small group of folks in a firm I am the go-to solutions consultant for their newer IT services. I've got a few users spread throughout the country, and we're using a hosted exchange solution. One of the exec's assistants is not local, but has a 'master' contact database - this is a master list, within outlook, and is several hundred MB's large, containing many pieces of information w/in each contact's entry (some sensitive). I can set up the 'shared contacts' functionality from w/in exchange+outlook, but I need to sync those contacts TO users databases (for some to use w/ BlackBerry's / iPhones) (They've been using Outlook as a CRM solution...)

So, what is one way (preferably free) to sync this 'master list' of contacts to multiple users? It can run over Exchange, if that helps.

Possible issues: It needs to be pretty simple and easy to use, I can only remote-assist so much, but, it can't require a ton of learning curve on the users part, so things like Act, FileMaker, etc. are out... They are also somewhat averse to paying for another service (getting hosted exchange going was a huge step but still took a ton of work) so things like salesforce are out too.

Additionally, assume the users have a basic level of comfort/knowledge with things like outlook, but still experience general pc issues that perplex them ("why won't my outlook open...?") so I'd like to be as easy as possible.

So, mefi masters, help me! I'm open to trying tons of stuff, and we have online storage available to use as an intermediary place to store a database (to get from one remote user to the next), but I'm out of ideas.

Please help me with synchronising cleanly

dance — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:34:21 -0800

Mail.app + Nokia e61 + gApps IMAP I would love to get my already fairly nifty Mail situation properly synchronised. At the moment, Google Apps handles my email for me and I access it via POP with Mail.app. It is also forwarded to MailForExchange where I am able to sychronise it with my Nokia e61. If I'm out, therefore, I can access and reply to emails. When I get back, though, my sent items in Mail do not reflect mails sent from the phone because gApps had nothing to do with that. In addition, emails read on the e61 are still unread in Mail.app.

What I would love to do is begin using IMAP with gApps but without disturbing the current archive of email I have in Mail.app and begin accessing my email on my phone by that method also.

How can I do this? Do I have to drag my folders into the IMAP folders? This is Mail 3, by the way.

Is there a way to use a google calendar and outlook exchange without completely mixing the two and can they be synced differently on different computers?

D Wiz — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:12:43 -0800

Is there a way to use a google calendar and outlook exchange without completely mixing the two and can they be synced differently on different computers? I have a work computer and a home computer (both Windows XP). At home I use google calendar. At work they use outlook exchange. I am now in the market for a PDA phone. I am looking at both WM6 Pro and Palm. I will probably end up with the palm but I am not sure at the moment. (I have unlimited data on my phone if that makes a difference.) Ok... those are all the background details.

Here is the question: I want the PDA to only partially sync with my work computer and completely sync with my home computer. Meaning I want my calendar/schedule from work to upload to the PDA but I don't want my personal address book or other information to be saved to the work computer. At the same time, when I sync at home, I want my personal calendar on the PDA also. I want both calendars to be visible on the PDA but when I go back and sync it at work, I don't want my personal calendar to be synced with my office computer. Is there a way to do this? Can calendars be kept separately? Also, to do this, is it preferable to use WM over Palm OS or vice versa?

Help me reach Gmail / mobile / desktop sync nerdvana

mjbraun — Tue, 01 May 2007 08:06:21 -0800

Please help me come up with a solution for automatically syncing Gmail, GCal, my desktop client and my mobile in one big data orgy. Currently I'm hosting my domain (email only) with Mailstreet and I'm relatively happy with their services and support. However, the siren song of "Gmail For Your Domain" has me entranced.

I'm in the market for a new mobile, and I'm looking at either a Blackberry 8800 or a Nokia E61i (when it comes out). Regardless, I want the full wireless sync of not only my email, but also my calendar and contacts (notes too, if possible). I can get this through Mailstreet if I sign up for the Blackberry service, but it's not cheap, and the storage space is limited (100Mb).

So I was wondering how I can set up automatic synchronization between my desktop PIM (I use Entourage, as I like having one app with all the data consolidated), my mail host, and my mobile as with the BES.

This sounds like something that Funambol would provide, but I'm not clear on the Gmail For Your Domain integration aspect.

The end goal will be I can add a contact on my mobile, and it just shows up on my desktop a few minutes later (the same with email, and calendar items). If I have to pay for Exchange, so be it, but I'd prefer to get away from it if possible.