A Windows application that safely links and syncs Outlook with your corporate database
Each connection to database and data feed settings organized into a subscription (collection of simple xml files), that can be easily created and distributed along with the program itself. The developer is now in full control of Sync2DB installation and functional behavior and can integrate the program into any business process or its own Outlook-Database synchronization and sharing application. Sync2DB has been designed as a simple tool that requires no interaction from the end user side. Just click the the "subscribe" link on your enterprise Web site, select the data that you allow to be grabbed or synchronized from your Outlook and you are all set!
What are the benefits of Sync2DB?
All other synchronization solutions between Microsoft Outlook and databases are complicated because they require configuration and Outlook add-on installation on each user account and PC and allow only one connection at a time. The task to make a program that helps users and developers to subscribe to Outlook or to a database has been very challenging and has required thousands of hours of developing and testing. Sync2DB is the first tool that helps to avoid or minimize the user interaction with the program, and helps developers create safe data subscriptions, providing synchronization and deploy the application onto thousands of users' PCs in a mater of days. Sync2DB synchronizer enables you to make Outlook synchronization quick and convenient over the Internet or LAN and ensures that you keep your Outlook and SQL database information in sync. Sync2DB Synchronizer is based on the Microsoft Sync Framework (comprehensive synchronization platform) technology that allows developers to safely synchronize or transfer any data from any store or PC using any protocol over any network. Among other benefits, you can implement the following features**:
* Connect Microsoft Outlook with SQL database in accordance with your own schema. (Data Subscriptions).
* Free or commercial data subscriptions for Microsoft Outlook owners.
* Data transition (i.e. you can see customers' orders from your web site and manage your customers contact information within your Outlook)
* Load or store selected or all item(s).
* Never update Outlook or database items.
* Delete Outlook items when an item is removed from the database or vice-versa.
* Run manual or auto-synchronization based on scheduler and "Push" technology.
* Show progress during synchronization.
* Show or not show the program interface options.
* Provide multiple subscriptions to the same and different database simultaneously (link multiple Outlook folders to different folders or database). This feature allows synchronizing Outlook items with several databases simultaneously (either in different or the same Outlook folders).
* Protect the subscriptions settings.
* Apply synchronization filters (customizable for each Outlook folder or for all folders of the same type).
* Work directly with Outlook data via MAPI without interference with the Outlook application (i.e. without opening or starting Outlook in the background).
* Support all Outlook item types, custom fields, forms, documents and attachments.
* Ability to synchronize your Database with Outlook folders located on a Microsoft Exchange Server, including Public Folders.
* Ensure equivalent Items detection and management.
* Choose the silent installation option. The Product distribution kit will allow remote (or administrative) installation of Synchronizer onto users’ computers by developer or administrator.
* Sync2DB Configuration Tool allows developers to easily adjust the configuration files (mapping, etc.).
* Work in offline mode
* Privacy protection. To provide user privacy protection, a special alerting form is implemented.
**Note: Some of the features are limited in the current version and will be added in the future versions.
Who should download/try and implement Sync2DB with their database?
Sync2DB can work for user or any company that utilizes Microsoft Outlook for every day tasks and wants to synchronize and share Outlook data with their enterprise database or any database that offers Sync2DB subscriptions. The application is particularly useful for large groups even if some of their members do not have Outlook at all. Sync2DB is also helpful for commercial and free data providers, ISP's, CRM/ERM developers and integrators, etc... There are no specific restrictions as to the group size in the Trial version. Please check the system requirements before signing up.
How much does Sync2DB cost and how to order it?
Sync2DB is free if you want to subscribe to our demo or to free subscriptions. The Developer Professional Private License is Free and available upon request; it can be used for developing purposes only (one per developer per organization). Have in mind that some web sites data subscriptions will also allow using your Sync2DB for free with their data feed, while on the other web sites you will need to pay for their feed! If you want to subscribe for unlimited number of subscriptions, you should buy a Pro user license. If you need license for your company employees then simple Enterprise license is your best choice. The actual cost will depend on your group size and licensing model, and start from as little as $65 per user and less than $5 per user license for a group of more than 10000 subscribers. With 1 Pro user license you will be able to synchronize any number of subscriptions. We also provide service of custom subscription database mapping and implementation services that cost from $100 to $500 per subscription. To learn more about Sync2DB licensing and calculate the actual cost of your order, please check out Sync2DB Service Pricing list by clicking here or contact us.
In what languages is Sync2DB available?
At this point Sync2DB is available in the US-English language only. Sorry. We plan to add other languages during the year 2009.
How does it work?
Sync2DB allows customers to subscribe/receive access to specific data of their database and maintain it in Outlook. Sync2DB allows 3-way synchronization (Outlook->Database(DB); DB->Outlook, DB<->Outlook). Your database administrator/developer will decide how to interact with product components and database and what data/ fields, filters and directions of synchronization to use with the selected customer or group via xml configuration files (subscription). He can easily define the business pattern and installation process that will be most suitable. Sync2Db utilizes the Microsoft Sync Framework (comprehensive synchronization platform) technology.
Here is an example of a simple one-way synchronization process: Customer logs in to your web site, clicks the “subscribe/ synchronize/ upload Outlook data” button. The Application will be automatically downloaded and installed on the customer’s PC. The data and fields selected by the administrator in a Microsoft Outlook folder will be automatically uploaded to the selected database with pre-defined parameters. The process of synchronization can be fully silent without any user-customer interactions, or fully displayed with all the required program interfaces and notifications, along with the status of upload/synchronization. Synchronization processes that will follow can be fully automated /scheduled or requested manually from your web site after logging in, as well as from the desktop shortcut that will require logon. This synchronization can be executed even when Microsoft Outlook is closed.
Sync2DB synchronizer creates the Sync2DB database locally on your PC in order to store small amount of information (metadata) to track changes in Outlook and sync process. During the synchronization process all changes made in your Outlook Personal folders on current PC are sent from Outlook to the server database and vice versa according synchronization type. If you are using the two-way synchronization subscription, then during synchronization, you will also receive all database changes.
So, if you have several computers (i.e. your work computer and your home PC) where you want to have the same synchronized data subscriptions for the same Outlook folders, install Sync2DB, using one and the same Sync2DB and subscription login ID.