Pumatech Software and Solutions Review

Synchronize Contact Data Across Multiple Platforms
IntelliSync Gold lets devices communicate

By Logan Harbaugh
January 1998 issue: Information Week

Corporate data such as contacts, schedules, names and addresses, and to-do lists can be stored inside an array of devices throughout an organization-and getting it out to the people who need it can be a challenge.

[Pumatech's] IntelliSync Gold offers synchronization support for multiple mobile devices in a single package that solves several problems at once. Keeping track of a personal information manager database at the office, at home, and on one or more handheld devices or portable computers is helped by programs that exchange data and update entries between PIMs and other devices. But for network managers, managing licensing and installation of synchronization programs can be a headache, e specially given the variety of formats that PIM users have-for example, an end user who has GoldMine at work may use a Windows CE handheld and a PC at home with Microsoft Outlook.

There are several standalone versions of the IntelliSync agent-including ones for Windows CE devices and 3Com's PalmPilot series of PIMs-all of which let you quickly synchronize devices. But IntelliSync Gold combines all of the IntelliSync products into a single solution, offering synchronization support for multiple mobile devices, including notebooks, PalmPilot, Windows CE handhelds, Texas Instruments' Personal Organizers and Avigo Intelligent Organizer, Sharp's Mobile and Electronic Organizers, Nokia's 9000/9000i Communicator, AT&T's PocketNet Service-based phones, and the Hewlett-Packard 200LX.

While specific application support may vary per device, IntelliSync Gold also supports a wide range of PC-based applications, including Microsoft's Schedule+ and Outlook, Lotus Organizer, Novell GroupWise, Oracle InterOffice, Symante c ACT!, GoldMine, Meeting Maker, ECCO, DayTimer Organizer, and Starfish Sidekick.

During the installation process, users choose which software PIMs and which hardware PIMs to install support for. The IntelliSync products all work in a similar manner-once they're installed, users choose which of the address books, E-mail folders, to-do lists, and so forth they want to synchronize between two PIMs. Once they're chosen, the installation process adds a synchronize button or menu choice to the program used.

To synchronize, users simply click the button. They can choose which PIM has precedence if the same entry has been changed at both ends, or the software can alert them so that conflicts can be resolved manually.