Contact Management & Sync?

[conomac]

Here's my scenario...

HTC EVO 4G 2.3.3 rooted mikg ROM. I have three separate contact databases that I'd like to sync with my Android. They are as follows:

1. Business Contacts
   1. These are contacts from my business email - Microsoft Outlook. All contacts are stored locally on my laptop in Outlook.
   2. Exchange is hosted via Microsoft BPOS
2. Personal Contacts
   1. Kept on personal gmail account
3. Community Group Contacts
   1. Contacts from a social group that I run
   2. These are stored in another gmail account

What have I tried so far?
Well, I set up all the accounts in Android to sync email, contacts, calendar(if necessary). I've found the native "People" contact management application to be anemic at best. I've had consistent problems with contacts not syncing...and duplicate creation. I've factory reset my phone and re-added all accounts - same problems. Certain contacts just don't sync. And I get duplicates. And I *hate* the facebook integration with status updates, contacts I don't care about, etc.

Is there a solution?
I'm looking for a way to sync all my contacts to my phone and *keep them separate*. I don't want to consolidate into a single contact database, say in Outlook, with all my personal and community group contacts. I've envisioned a contact application on the Android that, upon opening, I would select which contact group I wanted to view and I could manage each contact group's sync settings independently. I have Xobni for Outlook and am hoping their Android app could be a solution...but it's in alpha and I'm not on the list. I've been dealing with this for 6+ months and it's driving me nuts.

Any ideas on possible solutions?

 

[chanchan05]

Android default phonebook (at least on my Samsung Galaxy SL) can handle separate phonebooks. For instance, Phone contacts is wholly separated from Google Contacts. As long as you dont sync Outlook to Gmail contacts, On your phone, Google Contacts will mirror your Gmail/Personal Contacts. Then, the Outlook Contacts could be synced to the phone using Kies (or whatever program your OEM gave you, or maybe myphoneexplorer app). Basically, each contact with a google icon would be a personal contact, while any contact with a phone icon is a Business contact. That's syncing them separately.

To view them separately, on Google Contacts, simply make a group and label it personal, then slap all the contacts there. Do the same on the PC Sync software you have, and label all contacts into Business. On the phonebook, simply go to the groups tab and see what Contact Group you want to see.

 

[conomac]

Thanks chanchan05. I will play around with the Groups option and see if that is workable.