This is a bit off-topic, but I help admin the server, and it's theoretically set up for POP/IMAP, and it still doesn't work. Point being that IMAP/POP is an afterthought for Microsoft with regard to Exchange server and Hotmail. Playing nice isn't top priority.
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Android not a busines Phone - Outlook Synchronization?!
- Thread starter Ernie_P
- Start date
scooterinmn
Member
In my opinion, I think that Android got it EXACTLY right for business users. In the past few years, I have tried every option out there for business phones. (I stress business because I am not an iSheep and think all apple products are for 12 year old girls).
I use Outlook and sync EVERYTHING with my droid. The trick is since I am what the industry has classified as a "business" user, I have a corporate Exchange account. Contacts, tasks, email, calendar, etc. have not a single issue with updating and syncing. Like most other players, Android figures that if you don't have an Exchange account, you are using Hotmail or gMail for the same basic services and have no need to sync with Outlook. BB is the same story. You need a 2nd piece of software in order to sync your Outlook. While it is free, it doesn't always play well or supported that heavily.
You should really look into getting a personal Exchange account if your company does not provide one. I have seen several providers offering them for as little as $9 a month!
I use Outlook and sync EVERYTHING with my droid. The trick is since I am what the industry has classified as a "business" user, I have a corporate Exchange account. Contacts, tasks, email, calendar, etc. have not a single issue with updating and syncing. Like most other players, Android figures that if you don't have an Exchange account, you are using Hotmail or gMail for the same basic services and have no need to sync with Outlook. BB is the same story. You need a 2nd piece of software in order to sync your Outlook. While it is free, it doesn't always play well or supported that heavily.
You should really look into getting a personal Exchange account if your company does not provide one. I have seen several providers offering them for as little as $9 a month!
Hi davidwc09,
Your Bionic device is capable of corporate sync. Please ensure that you have a corporate data plan added to your account as corporate email will not work with a consumer data plan. For further assistance please contact us on Twitter @VZWSupport Monday to Friday 7am - 10pm and Saturday 7am - 4pm CST.
You can also call us at 1-800-922-0204 for immediate assistance from 6am to 11pm CST any day of the week including Sunday. If you have a corporate data plan and still have issues connecting to your corporate email, please have your phone fully charged and available for troubleshooting when you call us.
VZW_CS
off the top of my head it is actually outlook web access that you need to set up for exchange sync....
If your contacts are so important then why are they sitting on just one computer and one phone? That sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. No matter how small your company it should pay more attention to contact data than that. If you're not big enough to afford an exchange server then use a cloud service like gmail, hotmail, yahoo plus or whatever you
favour.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who is frustrated and wants to be able to synch Outlook contacts, calendar & tasks without putting them on my Yahoo or whatever. I have used a Palm Centro for a few years now and have had no difficulty synching Outlook 2003. I do not access the internet or email using my phone at the present time. I just wanted to be able to use my phone like a PDA as well as a phone. But then I upgraded to Office 2010 and learned that Outlook 2010 is not supported by the Palm OS and there are no plans to do so. So since I've been trying to decide between a new smart phone, iPhone or Droid, one of the major considerations is being able to synch my info as I've done in the past. It's very confusing all the different answers and how so many just assume one has an exchange server or all the information resides with their email client. I do bring my email into Outlook, but my contacts, calendar and tasks are strictly on my stand alone PC. It seems ridiculous to me also that it would be impossible or so difficult to continue to do what has been so very useful in the past with the newer technology. In the meantime I removed Outlook 2010 and reinstalled Outlook 2003 just to be able to continue to synch with my Palm Centro. Yes, I do get duplicates that have to be cleaned up, but it's still better than not having my calendar, tasks and contacts. I hope there will be a solution one of these days soon. And by the way, I back up everything to an external hard drive and an online back up service.
I have appreciated all the input back and forth. It has helped to realize I do not need to be in any big rush to run out and buy the latest device out there.
I have appreciated all the input back and forth. It has helped to realize I do not need to be in any big rush to run out and buy the latest device out there.
One-There are industries, including mine that not only wont but cant upload contact info to a cloud for compliance reasons, which leaves "native" android/motorola devices behind. There are 13,000 reps in my firm alone that can only use iphone or blackberry for this reason. Also, android overlooked an obvious flaw in security, automatic wipe on password fail, that leaves out prbly a couple hundred thousand users potentially in my industry alone. Remote wipe and autolock will not cut compliance muster. Again, there are many industries whose privacy policies and render android non-compliant. In my case, I get around all of this using 3rd party apps but many will not do this and simply follow company line. Huge market oversight on android's part imo.
Two-The drive to market internally and mine the existing customer base is ok but there should be an opt out. If one does not want to participate, why would the company be so short-sighted with the use it as is or go somewhere else...again huge market oversight and miss.
I love my razrmaxxhd and enjoy using it for business and pleasure even with the shortcomings, although I would more so if it were compliant and sanctioned by my firm. Companionlink works ok but does not sync with my phones internal calendar, so I lose some functionality there, but it is acceptible.
Lastly, why cant some people just accept the fact that Outlook is a good system just to manage contacts and calendars? Everything does not revolve around email and exchange servers. It WILL be interesting when BB comes out with something that picks up the strengths of what android and iphone have plus what only BB provides.
Two-The drive to market internally and mine the existing customer base is ok but there should be an opt out. If one does not want to participate, why would the company be so short-sighted with the use it as is or go somewhere else...again huge market oversight and miss.
I love my razrmaxxhd and enjoy using it for business and pleasure even with the shortcomings, although I would more so if it were compliant and sanctioned by my firm. Companionlink works ok but does not sync with my phones internal calendar, so I lose some functionality there, but it is acceptible.
Lastly, why cant some people just accept the fact that Outlook is a good system just to manage contacts and calendars? Everything does not revolve around email and exchange servers. It WILL be interesting when BB comes out with something that picks up the strengths of what android and iphone have plus what only BB provides.
I agreed with everything in your post until this part. Outlook is horrible for managing contacts and calendars. Address Book separate from Contacts. Global Address List separate from All Users. Outlook for Mac totally different from Outlook for Windows. Not even available for Linux. Calendar can't change event time frame without displaying funny (go ahead--try to make your meeting default increments 5 minutes and see what it does to your calendar). The list goes on. Sorry. Outlook stinks.