Keeping Things Organized

We all wish to keep one personal contact list and one personal calendar, alongside our emails and carry them where ever we go. It has become confusing and many of us are not doing it the best way. I am always in lookout for complete synchronization Nirvana. As long as you are willing to spend, there are many option (still confusing though), but what about free services?

For emails, I have been using Gmail since few years now and partially shifted to Windows live. Why? The simple answer is Outlook. One who has used outlook will surely understand its enterprising qualities. Sure Gmail can be configured in outlook too  but Microsoft still had a weapon in its arsenal. One of the best things that Microsoft came out for average email user was Microsoft outlook connector. Now outlook can be easily integrated with your live email account. There was never a feeling of this surety when using other email services with outlook.

Now your personal contacts can be kept synchronized with your Live email account. Not only this, your calendar can be synchronized with live account too. This is managed automatically by the connector. And most of us are already used to keep our mobile phones synchronized with outlook. So it completes a one way circle and puts us in a very comfortable situation.

Mobile phone (Contacts, Calendar) à Outlook on your Computer (Contacts, Calendar) à  Live Email Account (Contacts, Calendar)

Now if you change any item either in your mobile phone or your outlook or while logged in your email the change will be reflected in all three places when next synchronization happens. Chances are you will not even notice. You can download Microsoft Live connector here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9a2279b1-df0a-46e1-aa93-7d4870871ecf&displaylang=en

This method lacks a third system where mobile phone can directly sync with your online account/server. But if that was so easy everyone could enjoy true productivity tools that are starting point of corporate communication platform.

There is something we can still do, if you wish it to be that way. For that you need to have an Funambol account. There is another common language that speaks among our devices. Its known as SyncML. Funambol is one of many SyncML service providers. Most phones come in with built in SyncML settings. Once you have an account on Funambol, their website will guide you to integrate your phone with its settings. Now you can directly Sync your Calendar and contacts with your phone wirelessly (known as OTA or over-the-air) with Funambol account. First part finished.

Synchronizing phone with outlook is also easy enough. Now you need to put your outlook in touch with your Funambol account to complete the circle. Unlike other SyncML providers, Funambol makes this very easy. All you have to do is download their outlook plug-in and you are done! It automatically becomes part of the menu.

Now your three presences can talk to each other. You can never loose your contacts or calendar….and modify them anywhere without bothering. Funambol personal can be reached here:

http://my.funambol.com/

It also advertises a SyncML based push email solution. I have not tested it personally. You can, if you like it. Most of the Nokia users can now easily enjoy Blackberry type push email solution developed by Nokia and christened Nokia Email. Its very quick and works like a charm.

For others looking forward to using push email without spending a dime should give Cortado Mail a try. It provides free push mail but with a hurting limit of 20 MB per mailbox. I advice, forwarding mails from your primary email id to your Cortado address and configuring Cortado mail on your phone. Check, reply and delete. At least serves as a makeshift purpose.

You can find these details on my Blog as well. Thanks and regards.