Google announces over the air calendar sync for BlackBerry!
Danny Gorog13 December 2007, 5:00 AM
Finally, you can get over-the-air calendaring without using an expensive corporate server -- Google Sync for BlackBerry providing wireless two-way calendar syncing.
Google today announced its latest innovation for mobiles -- Google Sync for BlackBerry. Google Sync is a BlackBerry client that downloads Google Calendar events onto your BlackBerry, and uploads Calendar events from your BlackBerry, providing two-way synchronization over the air.
Rather than being a standalone application, the Google Sync client is fully integrated with the built-in calendar and therefore provides seamless integration.
Google Sync is targeted at consumers using BIS (BlackBerry Internet Solutions) rather than those use BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Solution) as BES already provides two-way synchronisation over the air.
Getting Google Sync setup is relatively simple but requires you to download the client directly from Google on your BlackBerry. Users in the US can simply enter their mobile number on the Google website and receive a text message with a link to http://m.google.com/sync . Everyone else should just point their BlackBerry browsers to this address to download the client.
Once you've downloaded and installed the Google Sync client all you need to do is run the application from the home screen, press 'login' and wait for Google Sync to work its magic. Google warns that syncing might take several minutes depending on the number of items present in your calendar.
Google Sync can be set to automatically sync your calendar in the background every couple of hours or more often if required. Otherwise you can turn off auto-sync and just do it manually when required. The options also let you specify how far ahead you want to sync, between 4 and 24 weeks, and also which calendars you want added to your BlackBerry . These options are available through either the Google Sync application or via Calendar -> Google Sync -> Options on the handheld.
Google Sync transfers all the information for an event including date, time, location and notes, available/Busy time setting and reminder setting. Reminders will show up on your BlackBerry just as native BlackBerry events do.
If you're signed up on a BIS plan Google Sync might be a perfect solution for you. For instance, with over-the-air syncing you could give somebody else access to your calendar and have them add changes while you're out on the road.
Now all that's needed is for Google to improve their Gmail address book and integrate it with Google Sync, as well as rolling this service out for additional mobile platforms (you can bet it will be available on the new Google Android platform as well).