Updating Outlook folder information across teams and groups is a powerful, productivity enhancing improvement. A clever new tool makes synchronizing Outlook folders across different users and PCs easy and affordable.

Schlegel, Germany -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/20/2005 -- Software developer Sven Ilius found out that many Outlook users have asked Microsoft for a synchronization feature to update and synchronizes Outlook folders across their work team or among colleagues. He found that synchronizing for example calendars across co-workers would be immensely useful. Unfortunately Outlook was developed for personal computers and Microsoft has not released a synchronization utility for Outlook, though it is not necessary that each team member registers new contacts in Outlook, as one can enter the details and pass the contact file on to other users.

Synchronizing Outlook in the background
Software company Somebytes developed the solution called OLFolderSync, which it markets as the easy to handle tool, joining multiple Outlook-installations. In this process each user can define which folder to allow being synchronized. It is also possible to exclude private elements from the synchronization process or to sync only objects of a defined category. OLFolderSync can work with all Outlook folders in principle, excluded by default are only the folders “Draft”, “Inbox”, “Outbox”, “Deleted Items” and “Sent Items”.

How does synchronization work?
OLFolderSync exchanges the Outlook-Folder data by email in the background, while the PC can be used for other processes. The machines do not need to be online simultaneously, as OLFolderSync can finish the task automatically the next time Outlook downloads emails from the server, with the application taking care of the Outlook-Folder data being saved to the right folders. Sven Ilius of the developer “Somebytes” states: “The programme does not need any user intervention apart from installing and setting up the application once.”

Configuring the tools is straight forward. After installation a new tab is added in the folder properties, to set up the synchronization. To add synchronization partners it suffices to enter their e-mail address. Sven Ilius: „The application caters for business users, who can also encrypt their sensitive data. The data can then only be used with the right password.“

The developer Somebytes suggest the following application for OLFolderSync
- Synchronizing appointments, contacts, tasks and notes from a home PC with one at the office and vice versa.
- A personal assistant entering appointments synchronizing these across locations, even continents.
- Synchronizing Birthdays with friends and family – the whole group can have the same birthday calendar.
- Working with the same group calendar, tasks or other documents.
- Synchronizing Outlook-Data from a laptop with an office desktop computer.
- Synchronizing appointments with colleagues on the road.
- Synchronizing club appointments across all members.
- Preparing time sheets based on Outlook Calendar details.
- As an alternative for the Outlook network folder.

Availability of demo and full version
OLFolderSync 1.0 works under Windows 2000, 2003 or XP with the Outlook-Versions 2000 to 2003. A trial version can be downloaded off the web (1.10 MB). The full version with two licenses costs US$72.- at http://www.olfoldersync.com.

Conclusions
An economical and practical solution to synchronize Outlook across several computers. Effective yet easy to use.

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Product description http://www.olfoldersync.com
Product logo http://www.somebytes.de/bilder/OLFolderSync.jpg
Company logo http://www.somebytes.de/bilder/somebytes_logo.png
Source, press release Word Document.
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Information about Somebytes
Somebytes Software Developer specializes on OPC synchronization application development. Somebytes distributes its software directly from its website at http://www.wallpaper-calendar.com/. Apart from the new application OPC-Netlistener, Somebytes, offers NVN (for Outlook), Netlistener as well as the Microsoft Outlook synchronization applications OLFolderSync, OLCalendarSync, OLTaskSync, OLContactSync which synchronize Outlook applications through e-mail with any sharing partner.

Contact information
Somebytes Software Developer
Sven Ilius
Ortsstr. 38, D-07366 Schlegel
Tel. +49 36642 23364
Email svenilius (at) somebytes.de