Google has been building up its array of offerings for Blackberry devices. Google Maps, GMail and Google Talk applications are widely used by Blackberry owners, but one application that is going to pleasantly surprise everyone is the brand-new Google Sync, which makes your Google Calendar whisper sweet nothings to your Blackberry Calendar. Google Sync is going to be made available for other platforms as well, but for now it is a Blackberry exclusive.
I downloaded and installed it on the T-Mobile Curve. (On your device browser visit http://m.google.com/sync.) I had to go into the application permission settings to allow the device to automatically sync with my default calendar. I left it on “automatic” and now the calendar changes sync (both ways) whenever a calendar entry is changed or added. Unlike a lot of other folks, I prefer using one calendar. It syncs with my desktop iCal via Span Sync and now Google Sync with the Blackberry. There are some folks who are having trouble syncing pre-existing calendar entries on their Blackberries with Google Calendar, but since I didn’t have entries to start with, I personally didn’t experience this problem.
If you prefer not to use Google Sync, then there are other options such as GCalSync or GooSync — and both are quite excellent. Windows users can use Calgoo Connect to sync Outlook with Google Calendar and then one of the three offerings to get your calendar on Blackberry. Among other new mobile applications from Google, I would recommend installing Google Docs for Blackberry and Picasa — especially if your Blackberry has a built-in camera.
Sweet!!!
Plaxo sync does a decent job too.
BTW the sync works with Google Apps accounts too (i tried mine). This is in addition to Google offering a GMail like app for the small to medium businesses.
So they are kinda eating RIMs lunch too. Small businesses using Google Apps dont need to buy BlackBerry Enterprise servers any more. All they need is Goog Apps.
Seems like a good topic to post abou ton my blog 😉
Downloaded it. How sweet it is!
These guys (Google) make it look to easy. Execute, execute, execute….
Om, thanks for the head up.
btw – shekyboy, I think you may be correct. A small biz does not require crackberyy server edition. This should “send” their stock down a couple of bucks as soon as the “street” catches wind.
Alex
And Shekyboy, well this is where the “free” part starts to hurt folks like RIM. I wonder if they are turning a willing eye away from this. It certainly keeps RIM devices relevant in the SMB market. Don’t you think? Sure they don’t make much money off the service/server sales, but gets them some market share.
THoughts?
I love it! Now the only thing missing is for Google to buy SpanSync or create an alternative.
Dear Om & Chums,
Google aka Everything But The Kitchen Sync…
Your wit wisdom and insight throughout the year keeps me in good cheer so herewith some singing lights and the obligatory winter scene to warm your cockles http://www.bon-bon.tv/xmas07/
Best Wishes,
Adam
Om,
Good point. Although I haven’t seen much data on the revenue breakdown.
However I feel that there device sales are triggered heavily by such enterprise capabilities. For example Blackberry’s are standard at where I work and they have full integration with their Enterprise server. This is the case with many establishments.
Once they have that setup, these companies end up buying RIMs devices only. Other smartphones dont really enjoy this kind of relationship. In otherwords their enterprise capabilities do support their device sales.
So theoretically, such moves from Google could hurt RIM. If SMBs start adopting Google apps completely, they have no reason to choose BlackBerry’s over iPhones or Treos…
Just my 2 cents.
Abhishek
@ Abhishek
I agree. So our company would be a typical small business. All of us have Blackberries and use Google Talk, and Gmail along with company IMAP. It works nicely for us, and now Calendar syncing. In order to get the company on the same calendar, i would imagine Google would have to add multiple calendar support to this little sync app. So we are hopeful.
Why Blackberries: better phone than treo, and better keyboard and form factor. Similarly iPhone is not ready for the business use, especially if one gets a lot of email. Lets see how the SDK availability changes all that.
@Om,
Yeah, agree.
By the way, I just played with the sync app again and you can configure additional calendars. However you must have these additional calendars added on the online view. For example you can have your comapny’s calendar and personal calendar all fed into Gcal. This sync app then will show all of them in unified view. Neato!
Yeah I agree about your comment about BlackBerrys holding their own. Quite frankly they aren’t holding by much. With iPhone pushing the market everyone is trying to deliver better smart-phones. So even if iPhone directly does not hurt RIM, others may. But they may not have Google Apps unless they go Android… Google will have those apps for Android, for sure.
Abhishek
Om – sorry if off topic a bit but there is no way i will use this or any “free” product from Google. Imagine I sync my calendar for my favorite lunch spot and Google sends me a coupon after “analyzing” my calendar entries using their benign (cough, cough) search algorhtyms.
Goog is in this game to gather as much info on me as they can and they will stop at very little to make sure that context based advertising fuels their growth.
Oh – and before I get the response of “you can opt out of Goog analyzing your content per their terms and conditions” bit, that is not a valid argument. Most people do not read nor care about those policies – shame on them? Maybe. But I doubt that Goog can continue this assault on privacy without some type of slap and/or intervention from the feds or maybe a States AG.
Keep up the good work – love the sites.
Brian
Om and Shekyboy,
You guys have hit on some great points. Funny, cause I have not seen these points posted anywhere.
For Small Biz you can get Google “white label” applications for $50 per year and have a robust mobile offering. How soon before GOOG starts offering hosted CRM allowing for web to lead to pop up on your phone and populate email, call back……all from your hand held device.
RIM should look to acquire some software companies that compliment GOOG’s efforts. If they take the other road and try to fight them they will clearly lose.
TREO – just a piece of crap. They had there chance. Maybe the lingering effects of 3COM management killed this company.
iPHone – sexy phone. But, agree that NOT “as” user friendly for a road warrior.
@Alex,
RIM should be partnering with (if not buying) ZOHO.
@ALL
This is a fantastic thread and everything blogging should be: informative, insightful and respectful. Thanks to Om for creating the environment and to everyone else for adding to the conversation.
Happy Holidays!
@ sheky boy
thanks for that tip. wow. now company wide calendaring. brilliant
Now if I can find a way to play media over by BB then all would be well. Is it a pipe dream to want to play multimedia over a blackberry?
I like it… syncs easily, Google maps works good too… I have the Curve 8320 and maps uses my location to find my location with 500 meters.
Hey Om, do you use docs at all? how do you like it?
Easy install and it’s working for me. I love my Blackberry 8700G.
Having serious problems on my curve. Have reinstalled Sync several times but it doesn’t function. It says I need to install a patch, but when I browse to where the patch is located it says a version is not available for me. Confused.
Like Crambler I’m having trouble installing the 2007 patch on my BB Curve and to check back later. Has anyone else figured out how to get around this…?
I’m very pleased with Google blackberry calendar sync feature.
Is there a way to download this application onto the desktop manager? I don’t have web enabled blackberry but would still like to have this application. Is the browser a prerequisite? Thanks for any replys
I’ve just installed google’s sync it works briliantly, to bad it doesn’t sync automaticly like activesync from microsoft.
I was planning to installed exchange once again but i see that google apps work just fine on my blackberry 8900 curve 🙂
Word of advise : Google Sync will DELETE from your Blackberry device, any appointment/event that falls out of the sync window. This window can be configured to a maximum of 4 weeks in the past and 24 weeks in the future.
This is done to “Save device memory”. Although, they are still available on the Google Agenda.
For me, this is a MAJOR issue and it is for a few people as I see it : “http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google%20Mobile/thread?tid=75095dc91f64c1ea&hl=en&start=40”
If this works for you, Sync is a great little app.