For anyone who uses multiple calendars, you know that one of the big issues that's being addressed by numerous applications is getting your calendars to sync up with each other. We've covered some solutions to this problem before, but we had not seen a truly integrated offering that allowed you to sync up a work calendar in desktop software with an onlne calendar without need of a third-party app of some sort...that is, until yesterday. It seems that Microsoft has finally given the people what they want and have provided a calendar sync tool that actually makes all of Microsoft's calendaring programs work together.
The new tool providing this functionality is the latest version of the Outlook Connector public beta. This downloadable software works to sync Outlook's calendar with Windows Live Hotmail's Calendar with the Windows Live Calendar Beta. Such an integrated offering is a surprise considering that Microsoft is a company that's sometimes known for launching what are perceived as too-similar, parallel solutions (think FolderShare, SyncToy, SkyDrive, Mesh).
The previous version of this connector allowed you to sync email and contacts data between Outlook and Hotmail for free, but calendar sync required a subscription service. With this new version, however, calendar sync is now free and it includes the ability to work with Live Calendar beta. And because Live Calendar also supports calendar sharing, those shared calendars will sync back to Outlook, too.
For someone who uses an Outlook calendar at work, keeps a personal calendar in Hotmail, and perhaps has a shared family calendar in Live Calendar, this new sync tool will be incredibly useful. Whether you're online or offline, all your calendars are available from one place: Outlook.
The release of this connector is a great example of Microsoft's firm commitment to their S+S (Software + Services) architecture. They intend for software to be the hub for your activities with web services available as an additional layer. S+S combines the power of the internet with the richness that is still, as of today, found mostly in desktop software (although web software is quickly closing that gap). This is an entirely different mindset than what Google and other web companies are offering - in fact, it's just the opposite. Google Calendar, for example, will be implementing Google Gears which is software that makes a web app available offline and then syncs your changes when you connect to the internet again. The battle between these two similar, but opposing, methodologies will play out over the coming months. The ReadWriteWeb audience of early adopters and web developers tends to think the winner will be web apps in the end, but the truth of the matter is that it's still too early in the game for either side to declare victory just yet.
Of course, the missing piece to the Microsoft solution is the fact that Outlook (or any) desktop software isn't necessarily available on every PC that you own. However, considering their new Live Mesh platform isn't designed to just handle file sync, but is designed to handle application sync too, it's easy to see what direction they're headed. Microsoft is still betting on software - they're just using the web as a tool which makes everything work together more seamlessly than it did before .
Do you think S+S is a viable solution for computing's future? Or do you think today's web apps should be focused on implementing offline sync? Or can these two opposing agendas co-exist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Comments
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So does it work for any iCalendar/CalDAV server on the web, or just more closed MS-properietary crap?
Posted by: Kennu | July 24, 2008 2:18 PM
Good news. Now, it should also be possible to sync with Google Calendar. But I guess that is only me dreaming :-)
Posted by: Baard Overgaard Hansen
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July 24, 2008 2:28 PM
You can get iCal subscriptions in Live Calendar.
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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July 24, 2008 2:30 PM
This feature already exists on Google calendar and its called Google calendar Sync. http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en-ie&answer=89955. The app adds Google calendar entries to your outlook and can also do two way sync.
BTW the whole problem exists because Microsoft in its usual standards hate way will not do a full implementation of the iCal specification.
However this app integrates email and calendar which I dont think google does.
Works reasonably well I may add.
Posted by: Yuvamani | July 24, 2008 2:32 PM
The url is : http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en-ie&answer=89955 (Added a fullstop at the end in the last comment)
Posted by: Yuvamani | July 24, 2008 2:35 PM
Sarah - this solution does a great job of syncing MS owned calendar services - there is a vast difference between that and true global calendar sync.
I for instance use Google calendar and Win mobile - does this solution provide sync for my use case?
Not at all
Posted by: Ben Kepes
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July 24, 2008 3:01 PM
Perhaps, but we're still years off before that much convergence, beside all the ideological differences.
MS: "You own what you own/have access to. We the ability to enforce diverse policy measures to match the diverse structures of businesses and people. Data in the cloud is as secure as the other people holding on to it. Privacy is the utmost, don't worry it's your data. Identity/IP/Hackers - we have some great security measures. Capitalism."
"The Cloud" : "Give all that up. It's much easier on the other side. Let us give you the structure, besides you don't really care that much. And, maintaining those 'strange ideas' is expensive. You handle doing what you do best. We'll handle the rest. Privacy, just don't worry about it. Communism."
Posted by: Rob Colburn | July 24, 2008 4:55 PM
Regarding Google calendar synch, this is an interesting post from a MS employee:
http://www.shahine.com/omar/NewGoogleCalendarSyncStillDoesnrsquotWork.aspx
Looks like a bunch of other people are having the same issue too.
Posted by: JeffBo | July 24, 2008 11:34 PM
Hi, Sarah. I had some thoughts, but many of them were already covered in the comments ;)
Calendar sync should be table-stakesâit's something we've needed since the dawn of computing, and has been available in different forms for ages. It just hasn't been implemented very well yet.
Is this the future?
No, it's making up for the past. We will see this everywhere soon, and everything will be synced by default. I'm just surprised it's taken so long.
Posted by: Zach Beauvais
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July 25, 2008 2:12 AM
As we all know, Microsoft's arrogance when it comes to their own proprietary inferior standards, as opposed to universal far superior standards, will one day crush them into the dirt.
Everyone else embraces the iCal global standard which makes sync'ing calendars trivial, PC to PC, or PC to Mac, or PC to Linux, whatever.
Get real! Dump Outlook and adopt a calendaring product that actually works! You have lots of choices.
Posted by: Charles P. Whaley | July 26, 2008 1:13 PM
it is (But I guess that is only me dreaming)
Posted by: hgh | July 27, 2008 9:33 AM
does it work for any iCalendar/CalDAV server on the web?? nice site
Posted by: elena | August 4, 2008 8:40 AM