jrb2969

I am not a newbie at Outlook, Android or smartphones. Given the frustration level, I had to lean on Companionlink to get the product working in a letter.

Wayland and fellow professionals,

I have been a client of your since 2004 and in IT/high tech for 30 years. While it is clear that you are market leaders with an opportunity to sell in an inexplicable vacuum Android –Outlook sync, there are some things I just don’t get. I wouldn’t write you this letter if I hadn’t wasted many hours with your product and others attempting to get it to work only to find that syncing my Samsung Epic to Outlook 2010 is still a painful mess. For the benefit of your users, many of which are pulling their hair out, please, please listen to a few simple facts.
1. Google sucks at contact management. Few people that depend upon managing relationships to make a living would be lazy enough to use Google contacts. I wish it was decent, because if it was I wouldn’t need your product in the first place. As a sales engineer using Outlook and ACT for 20 plus years, I think I can say this.
2. Once you learn Google contacts sucks and that the idea of syncing through Google isn’t really a good idea, the direct sync over USB or Bluetooth starts to make total sense. Why would you want to have Google mess up your contacts (as it has mine) and take a chance that someone can hack into your key relationships?
3. While your product had worked in the past, the last install on a new computer was a complete failure. Now that my database is past 6,000 contacts Companionlink times out halfway through the sync which wouldn’t be so bad if it could pick up where it left off. Phone calls, internet search and hours later I concluded no more Companionlink for me. The problem I found is that your competition isn’t that much better. For better or worse, you have the “responsibility” of being the top-dog in the industry. Because Google, Samsung, Sprint and Microsoft are essentially absentee players in the business of sync, there is a tremendous need for Outlook to Android sync, with few and mediocre options to choose from.
4. That said, once I realized that using a USB link was a better way to use Companionlink, I found that Companionlink to Outlook won’t allow me to choose a USB sync. Even when I de-install, follow the instructions on your website and re-install have I never been able to choose USB sync, once I too made the mistake of working through Google on the first install of your product. I know that there may should be an install utility that deletes certain product keys and registry entries. That said, where is it? Is my only option to wipe the drive and re-install Windows 7?
5. Meanwhile, I could spend $150 per year per user for hosted exchange with push sync or a small fortune to install exchange server in our small office. I have zero doubt that this is work. Once again, this path wouldn’t likely include the need for your product.
6. Microsoft got behind on their Smartphones. Like many I don’t like the control of Apple. Thus Android seems like an incredible tool if someone could just make a contact/calendar sync product that was easy to install and use. When I see this on your website, it appears you are having difficulty making software that is easy to install “With the large amounts of new Android, iPhone and BlackBerry devices sold, we are receiving an unusually high number of phone calls for technical support.”

With the economic growth of Android and mobile smart phones in general, could you please empower us as end users to make this technology work? For god’s sake, this should not take many frustrating hours in forums badmouthing bad software in desperate search of something better. If anyone should be able to do it, it should be Companionlink. Give us the tools and information needed to succeed so that we can go out and focus on our own business, please. By the way, I will submit a support ticket, again. Just like I have been doing for the past several weeks with zero resolution.

Jeff
Denver, CO

Marvintheparanoid

We can now synchronize Outlook & Android without a 3rd party app or Exchange Server!

RazzMaTazz

I think Jeff's letter should be directed at Google. It's maddening that Google refuses to write an app that syncs Outlook contacts with Android. Of course Google has no intention of doing that because they want Google Apps to replace Microsoft Office, and they want to force you to put your valuable contacts database on Google's servers.

Microsoft has two good solutions for sync on Android. For corporate users, Exchange Servers are an excellent, albeit pricey solution. For those without access to Exchange Servers, Outlook contacts and calendar can be automatically synchronized to Android, for free, without any 3rd party apps, from anywhere in the world, through Hotmail servers-- and you don't even have to use Hotmail for email. (That's what I do. Works great.)

macgiobuin

I don't know if this helps, but I just moved all my contacts from 3 different accounts (including an Outlook account with tight security) by simply exporting them to My Documents and then importing the files to gmail. All 700+ are now on my phone and backed-up at gmail.com. Only a few needed tweaking/merging (the actual number was 18 total). It was almost too easy....felt like I was doing it wrong, but so far all seem to have synched with no data loss.

takeshi

I only use it for contacts sync between Outlook and my Google account but gsyncit works very well in my experience.

I use hosted Exchange for a personal account (and have done so for years). It's a frequently overlooked option. ActiveSync is far less hassle than any wired sync solution or any solution that relies on a desktop software install. It's also much more reliable than relying on a desktop software solution. I only use gsyncit because I need my Exchange contacts somehow synced to my Google account for Google Voice. Otherwise, I wouldn't even use gsyncit.

Why would they? Their apps and services favor a cloud-based approach. Don't forget what their core business is. They need to get data from their users and making their users rely on the cloud benefits them.

Last edited by takeshi; June 6th, 2011 at 08:42 AM.

spile

I had lots of issues with HTC Sync but find that MyPhoneExplorer is much more relaible and works fine for syncing Outlook contacts with Android for me. That said syncing between two different manufacturers is never going to be as straight forward as syncing between Google <> Google or Microsoft <> Microsoft.

RazzMaTazz

... because it involves a pricey recurring fee.

Google's core business is search & targeted advertising. I get all of the same cloud-based services from Google without putting any of my contacts on Gmail servers. So Google doesn't need access to your contact info to provide services that benefit their customers. Google just wants that information because it makes Google more valuable if they know EVERYTHING about you, your friends, family, etc, and can better target you and your contacts with advertising and services.

felice

I agree with jrb! I can't believe how much time I have wasted on trying to get a reliable sync with more than just basic data on my Evo. I love this phone, but long for the blackberry calendar and contacts sync and the instant email that BB provided. Don't understand why droids can't do the same. I now have duplicate contacts in my database (a lot), don't get all the calendar info or tasks and have to spend more money to purchase an app to do what my BB did for free. So maybe iPhone is the answer? I feel like Google is holding me hostage - didn't want or need a google account, already have 2 email addresses I use, don't really want another place to put calendar info, I could go on and vent some more, but I think you get the message. Anyone else feel this way?

companionlink

Jeff -

I just wanted to follow up to ensure you had heard back from Support. We work hard to bring sync to a variety of setups and I want to make sure we're doing everything we can to get your setup running properly!


- David Z.

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CompanionLink Software
Twitter: @companionlink