My parents and grandfather are wanting to get droids, but need it to sync directly with outlook for contacts and calendar. (not export to CSV then to google). Is there a way to do this?

I use the corporate Email app with Exchange. My contacts and calendar work well. The only issue -- accepting meetings.

Hope that helps.

Mike

I cant find Corporate Email in the market.

It is the stock email app and should already be on your phone. Look at the screen shot I attached. It is the second from the left between SetCPU and K9

Mike

Wow. Now I feel stupid. lol... is exchange another app on the phone, or is that MS exchange?

MS Exchange

I use google sync for outlook, my work wont let me sync email and contacts but it works fine for my calendar, sync's it with the google calendar.

AWESOME! we'll check it out. THANKS!

Bear in mind...as you read through all the various threads and workarounds...Android was not designed to sync to outlook...period.

Outlook is a client that allows you to send and retrieve emails and calendars from and to a server. Be it an exchange server or some other SMTP/POP3, IMAP or whatever protocol is used by that server.

Droid comes with Corporate Mail which is a client that allows you to send and retrieve emails and calendars from and to a server...be it exchange or gmail or some other server software ...

There should be a server between your desktop and the droid for it to work the way it was designed. Client to Client sync is not supported on the Droid.

That's not to say that there is not an app on the market that does this type of sync for you. And Droid does have the ability to set up an account based on SMTP/POP3. But as far as syncing...you won't get a sync setup that is as clean as the cloud system that Droid was designed around. One server where multiple clients can connect and share the same database. Everything stored on the server so each client sees the same database.

Nate

It's a common mistake but Outlook != Exchange. Outlook is the client. Exchange is the server. Outlook is not always used with Exchange.

For sync directly with Outlook, you'll need to find a solution such as CompanionLink. There are several threads on this topic that I recommend referring to but I don't have links handy (I'd have to search, same as you). The other threads do have other solutions suggested.

the security at my work wont allow my phone to sync with the exchange server, the only way for me to do it is directly on my PC with outlook.

What you mean is your corporate IT guys don't know how to set up secure connections between your Droid and their exchange server. There's a big difference...right? Does your corporate security allow you to conn ect an external PC or laptop to Exchange via OWA or POP3/SMTP? Or are they totally paranoid about any external link?

Nate

No, i work at Cisco.. i'm pretty sure they know what they are doing.

Everything has to happen via VPN.

Same thing here. Only way to access the email servers is to connect from within the work's network (so either via my work desktop, a VPN, or webmail). Tried to get it on my Droid but they do not allow mobile connections, other than company issued blackberry's.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you've never worked at a large corporation. Security != paranoia.

One nice feature of gsyncit is that you can set it up to show and sort your contacts last name first.

There used to be a VPNC client on the market that allowed you to connect through a Cisco router. Have not even looked at it in months but I know that was how our students connected in the lab settings.

Once again...knowledge is the limiting factor...not the device. Just whip up some linux and make it connect.

The thing about Android is we just don't have a lot of drop in solutions. But the solutions are there.

Nate

Thanks for the shoutout takeshi!

CompanionLink USB does indeed support sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes directly between Outlook and Android.

We've worked with enough business users to recognize that there are many cases in which wireless sync or syncing to Google is not an option. Since Android does not have any sort of native tasks or notes applications, we developed an Android app called DejaOffice to handle tasks and notes, as well as provide business users with a more robust calendar and address book.

CompanionLink USB runs $39.95, and a 14-day free trial is available at www.companionlink.com/android. DejaOffice is a free download from the Android Market or at www.dejaoffice.com.

Sync native

Thanks for the info on your software for syncing native without exchange etc. But it would be great if there was a native Android base system that all the developers could tap into and perhaps add to or manipulate. It would seem to simplify things, but not being a developer, maybe not. But will test and see .

Looking at getting the Droid X or the next version with 3.0 on it. But coming from an iPhone I have been doing some research on how the Android system handles sync with Outlook contacts, calendar, appointments etc. directly...not through Google Cal etc. Looks like it is lacking in this dept.

I know since iPhone is a closed system they can direct how things are done...that is good and bad.. But the Android folks really need to belly up to the system and get a native sync system that hooks directly with Outlook and its various pieces. If Apple can do it...then so can Android. We in the lay public are not interested in futzing with workarounds or rooting or hacking.

We just want to hook it up, sync and move on. Not the least bit interested in digging around inside.

Maybe if any Google Android folks lurk here they will move the 3.0 in a more mature direction. Focus less on crap ware like video etc and get the underlying system solid and intuitive for anyone picking up the system, then work on the crapware.

Hopeful, but will try some of the other solutions such as CompanionLink and Missing Sync. Missing has just updated their sync app also.

Thanks