Creative BlackBerry Calendar Synchronization

Occasionally, we are asked to perform the impossible. Most recently, we were tasked with synchronizing a Public Calendar on Exchange with the calendar on a BlackBerry.

To the uninitiated, this may seem like it should be a simple process. So, what’s the problem?

Well, there are actually many problems with this. The first of which is the fact that none of the current batch of “smartphones” (including Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and iPhone) will inherently synchronize with Public Calendars hosted on an Exchange server. So, we immediately have a need to either change how the organization handles its scheduling, or find a way to synchronize a Public Calendar with a Private Calendar automatically.

Rather than spend the time changing a business process the client has used for over six years, which would carry with it many hidden costs involved with training, we opted to find a way to synchronize a Public Calendar with a Private Calendar. To accomplish this, we used a product called Add2Exchange from http://www.diditbetter.com. This software runs on the server and we have it set up to automatically synchronize individual Public Calendars with individual Private Calendars.

Okay, so now we have our data from our Public Calendar visible in our Private Calendar through Outlook. If we were using a Windows Mobile device, we’d be all set!

D’oh! It’s a BlackBerry we need to set up, not a WinMobile device. Here’s where we get a nice little surprise from the world of the BlackBerry: you can’t wirelessly synchronize a Private Calendar in Outlook without a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. E-mail works just fine, and we can sync the calendar when connecting via a cable to the user’s computer. But this user needs changes synchronized when they’re out of the office! What to do?!?

Here we have three options: purchase and setup a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, accept that this “just can’t be done,” or find another way. Since this is for only one person, the costs involved with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server solution cannot be justified. We always want to make our clients happy, and to tell them at this point that we couldn’t accomplish the objective was not a pleasant thought. We had to find another way.

Enter Google Calendar (http://calendar.google.com). Google Calendar will synchronize with a BlackBerry Calendar. Google Calendar will also synchronize with an Outlook Private Calendar. We set up a Google Calendar account for the end-user, configured it to synchronize with their Outlook and their BlackBerry and - Viola! - we’ve got it! We now have all appointments added to the Public Calendar at their office visible on the user’s BlackBerry.

To recap, there are many hoops to jump through to synchronize a Public Calendar in Exchange with a BlackBerry calendar. In order to accomplish this, we now synchronize the Public Calendar to a Private Calendar. We then synchronize the Private Calendar to a Google Calendar. Finally, the Google Calendar synchronizes to the BlackBerry. The end-user sees all changes within 30 minutes of the time an item is changed in the Public Calendar.

If you’re currently using an external company to handle your company’s IT needs, are they willing to perform this kind of legwork to get you to your goal? Do they take the time to find a way to get the job done without offering up excuses? Do they react positively when facing adverse situations? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you need to give us a call at Delios Computer Solutions and experience the difference we can make in your organization.

http://www.delios.com (616) 301-1791