Outlook Email/Calendar sync

[Ethanol]

I'm new here and read thru most of the entries and didn't see one that matched my question so sorry if this is a repost.

I have a motorola atrix phone that is recently purchased and really like the phone. I'm a previous blackberry user so I'm sure you understand why I'm happy.

Here's my question...

My company uses Outlook Exchange but restricts settings and does NOT allow us to connect our handheld devices and sync mail/calendar/other stuff like normal people. The blackberry has the web based mail program that actually takes our user/pass and logs into the site and gets the mail... Not like a push, but more like a "pull" if you will. I still have to plug the blackberry in to sync the contacts and calendar, but it's better than nothing.

If the blackberry can do it then I'm sure Android has thought of this... Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[RazzMaTazz]

The best solution would be to have your IT people fired for gross incompetence. I can't believe your corporate execs allow your IT people to limit worker productivity.

I'm not sure if there's the exact same kind of app available that would pull mail from a webmail login to Exchange. There are several third party synchronization software programs that you could use to sync your phone with your PC. The website Syncdroid.net lists them in a matrix of functionality. CompanionLink & GSyncIt seem to be the better, more popular (albeit expensive) ones. MyPhoneExplorer is one of the more popular free ones, though it has relatively limited functionality. Many of these types of solutions require you to load software on your PC and an app on the phone and sync over USB or over WiFi from the same router as the PC.

One possible workaround would be to add a free Hotmail (or Windows Live Mail) account to Outlook and your phone, and then:
1) For mail, set up a rule in Outlook that puts a copy of your Inbox email into your Hotmail email Inbox (so that you cauld access your mail from your phone). You could do this with any kind of email account, like Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc. Replying to these mails would not come "from" your corporate email addess.
2) Copy your Outlook contacts folder into the Hotmail contacts folder. (But you'd have to manually sync the two folders periodically.)
3) Copy or export your Outlook calendar into your Hotmail calendar. (But you'd have to manually sync the two folders periodically.)

 

[ClubSteeler]

Does your ITDepartment know that they can force you to implement a password protected lock screen so that if your phone was lost or stolen then noone could get in to your work email?

Mine does that. It's annoying because I always have unlock my screen with a long password, and not even widgets can get over the lock screen but at least I can use my phone for work.

I know. Not your decision.

Just create a rule in outlook mail to force it to forward every incoming message to yout gmail address and use the gmail app on your phone to reae all work emails.

I am not sure about a calendar workaround.

 

[Ethanol]

Yeah, they suck, but I have no control. They used to allow it until they realized they were allowing it and stopped it.

There is a site called syncronia gateway that some of the iPhone users are having luck with but it's still a much delayed response (it only checks every 10 or 15 minutes for mail). I wish there was a trick or exploit that I could use... Again, back to blackberry because that's what I know, they have an desktop redirector that receives the email and immediately pushes it to the phone...wish someone would create that for android.

Oh, and I need to be able to respond from my email address so the yahoo/gmail idea doesnt work.

Thanks got the responses.

 

[Tae]

Not sure if I understand correctly. There's 3rd party app "touchdown" allow you to access most emails account but only allow 30 days trial then you have to pay. I just upgraded my phone from HTC Desire to Galaxy S2, and will defenitely not paying for it.

I did the email sync on Desire with no problem but now I can't do it on S2 so at the moment I use the touchdown for the time being to access work email and still try to find the solution to do Exchange ActiveSync properly...

 

[takeshi]

The best solution would be to have your IT people fired for gross incompetence. I can't believe your corporate execs allow your IT people to limit worker productivity.

Nonsense. Every Exchange environment can be configured differently whether you agree with a particular setup or not. Many companies only allow OWA access or disallow personal devices. If you don't like an employer's policies then find another job.

That said, I'd actually love it if my employer didn't hand out electronic leashes at the door.

Not like a push, but more like a "pull" if you will.

I'm not sure that OWA is pull (could be, I just don't recall). Push and pull are frequently misunderstood and misused. Push should be immediate but delivery time does not define push versus pull. The entity that initiates the transfer is what defines it.

There are Exchange clients that support OWA. I just don't recall which ones they are. I use Touchdown and can't tell you if it supports OWA. Nitrodesk's web site should have that info and, as stated above, Touchdown has a trial you can try out to verify.

I'm sure if you use OWA in your search keywords you'll find relevant info here and via Googling. It has definitely been discussed before.

Does your ITDepartment know that they can force you to implement a password protected lock screen so that if your phone was lost or stolen then noone could get in to your work email?

IIRC with Touchdown the app is secured by PIN rather than the entire device. Don't go on my word though.

Just create a rule in outlook mail to force it to forward every incoming message to yout gmail address and use the gmail app on your phone to reae all work emails.

If forwarding is allowed. Again, every Exchange environment can be configured differently. I mean, Exchange even offers IMAP and POP access though they seem to be rarely enabled.

Yeah, they suck, but I have no control. They used to allow it until they realized they were allowing it and stopped it.

There is a site called syncronia gateway that some of the iPhone users are having luck with but it's still a much delayed response (it only checks every 10 or 15 minutes for mail). I wish there was a trick or exploit that I could use... Again, back to blackberry because that's what I know, they have an desktop redirector that receives the email and immediately pushes it to the phone...wish someone would create that for android.

You do not want Redirector. Relying on a desktop app is a terrible approach (less reliable hardware, no monitoring, etc). Redirector was a flaky application anyway.

Be very careful circumventing corporate IT policies whether you agree with them or not. Many employers consider doing so grounds for disciplinary action if not termination.

Not sure if I understand correctly.

Instead of using ActiveSync which is commonly used for mobile devices to access Exchange servers, the OP needs to connect via OWA. Not all Android Exchange clients support OWA.

 

[RazzMaTazz]

The best solution would be to have your IT people fired for gross incompetence. I can't believe your corporate execs allow your IT people to limit worker productivity.

Nonsense. Every Exchange environment can be configured differently whether you agree with a particular setup or not.

Duh... Of course every exchange environment can be configured differently. That's exactly what I'm saying. This guy's IT team should be shot for configuring it to limit worker productivity. I've worked for several high tech companies with world-class security (including a defense contractor) and none of them implemented such a stupid configuration.

If you don't like an employer's policies then find another job.

Or instead of taking the extreme action of changing jobs over one stupid little IT policy, or instead of suffering through that stupid IT policy, one could present an intelligent case to the IT manager to get him to change the policy, citing examples of companies like Microsoft, Intel, & Google, who don't implement such stupid policies. And if that doesn't succeed, one could respectfully and intelligently escalate the case through the management chain, all the way up to the CEO, if necessary. Most smart execs are in favor of increasing worker productivity.

That said, I'd actually love it if my employer didn't hand out electronic leashes at the door.

So do something about it.

 

[Tae]

I've updated from 2.3.3 to KG1 2.3.4 rooted, reset to factory setting and try exchange sync again and it worked so I guess prob the 2.3.3 that prevented me to do so. But it cud be other thing.

 

[jacke85]

Try OutlookReflex for syncing Outlook emails to android with one touch.
Download the app from android market and start syncing Outlook to android.

 

[profmad]

Did you try it yourself?
What I know - every plaform has its own style which is incompatible with other platform