If you’re using Exchange Server to keep common company data bases (contacts, schedules, tasks , etc.), you will probably encounter a basic problem of companies similar to yours: How to pull this data out of public folders and replicate it to mobile devices of workers that work among your clients and business partners outside the office?

You might be surprised with it, but this (any way you slice it) basic process can’t be achieved just by using Exchange Server native capabilities. The ActiveSync service, which is responsible for syncing private folders with Windows Mobile handhelds, isn’t capable of  synchronizing public folders with them. In fact, the majority of mobile devices is only able to sync themselves with default folders of a desktop mail client. Normally, you will not be able to sync your mobile device with any additional personal folder. In other words, if you create e.g. Calendar No. 2 in your Outlook you will not be able to keep it in sync with your smartphone. Furthermore, it is not possible to sync data directly from Exchange Server public folders. How to solve this issue then? CodeTwo has the right solution for you.

CodeTwo Exchange Sync is an application installed directly on the server that enables automatic synchronization of selected Microsoft Exchange Server folders. The program is extremely versatile in it’s applications. The ability we’re most interested in, is the synchronization of Exchange Server public folders (including contacts, tasks, calendars, mail etc.) with private mailboxes and (in the wake of it) with mobile devices your workers use to access them during their fieldwork.

Take a look at the picture below which illustrates this process:

In order to achieve this goal, the server administrator has to configure a simple synchronization rule using CodeTwo Exchange Sync that will force the replication of selected data stored in public folders to personal folders of any end-user in the company network. Then, using the Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) service, the items pulled from the company data base to personal mailboxes can be easily synchronized with all mobile devices supporting the EAS protocol (Windows Mobile devices, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.). You can also use this mechanism analogically to replicate any data from any non-default folders of your mail client.

In addition to this, by using different types of synchronization, such as One-Way or Two-Way, the administrator can decide which employees have the right to update personal folders via their smart phones and which are only authorized to view them.

CodeTwo Exchange Sync is an easy-to-use, but yet extremely powerful application that will allow you to deploy completely new work-group scenarios in your company. The evaluation copy is free of charge and remains fully functional for 30 days. The program has been recently voted 2nd Runner-Up in MSExchange.org Reader’s Choice pole organized by MSExchange.org in December 2010.

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