Synchrologic iMobile Suite 4.0 is the first product to combine PIM sync and device management. Both PIM sync platforms provide outstanding synchronization capabilities, but iMobile edges ahead because of its device-management support.
Although its device-management capabilities aren't as good as the dedicated platforms, iMobile includes the basics, such as file distribution, inventory and client scripting. This stable synchronization platform supports both groupware and database synchronization.
We ran into problems during the setup when configuring the server's log database. The server can use MSDE (Microsoft Data Engine, a slimmed down version of SQL Server), SQL Server or Oracle for its logs. The manual says MSDE is to be used for testing, not production.
We tried to configure the server to create the database on our SQL Server, but the setup program had no mechanisms to support this process. We then scoured the manual for clues on configuring the server to work with SQL Server but found no help. Synchrologic's technical support staff instructed us to install the server with MSDE as the database, then port the database to SQL Server. This process was tedious and difficult to implement. We also had to be quite familiar with SQL Server to set up the database because there was nothing in the manual to tell us how to complete the task. Except for the database portion, the setup was a snap.
One helpful feature is the user groups. iMobile Suite includes a default group called "New Users." This is the initial group for any iMobile Suite user. We set up this group to perform all the default tasks for new users. On initial connection to the iMobile Suite server, this group could be used to download default applications to the client, or it could be configured to do nothing, so users who have not been assigned a group by the administrator can't access the system until authorized. XTNDConnect offers the same functionality but it has to be manually configured.
IMobile Suite's device-management functions are supported on Palm, Windows CE, laptop and RIM BlackBerry devices. However, PIM sync is supported on the handhelds only. Synchrologic claims that the laptops already have applications that perform synchronization. PIM sync servers operate as somewhat of a gateway for handhelds, providing connectivity back to enterprise data systems that would not otherwise exist. Nevertheless, we'd like to see a standardized synchronization system that can be deployed across all mobile devices.
IMobile Suite does two things with file distribution that none of the other products support. First, the program lets you send Web sites to clients. You can specify how many levels to traverse on the Web site and whether to send images. This feature makes it possible to send Web sites to your users for offline browsing.
IMobile Suite's second unique feature is its ability to list dependencies for specific file transfers. With this feature, we could specify that certain applications would have to exist on the client before files are transmitted -- for example, before we sent McAfee VirusScan updates to any client, we set up iMobile Suite to check that VirusScan was installed.
IMobile Suite's inventory and logging features were weaker than those of the competition. IMobile Suite sorts inventory by user rather than by device. One user's inventory, for example, was listed as four laptops and two Palm devices. The inventory also was very brief when compared with that of other products.
Logging is also a bit strange. The program creates verbose log entries for successful task completion but oversimplified, general entries for errors. We also had to look through and send an XML log file to technical support when troubleshooting.
This product offers strong security: iMobile Suite has both encrypted communication via SSL and file encryption before transmission. We used the administrative tool to configure both options. The program encrypts a local file, then sends the file over the network to the client. When the file is received, the client decrypts the file and can use it normally.
IMobile Suite uses Microsoft Management Console (MMC) for the administrator console. This was very convenient for us because we were able to add in other MMC snap-ins to the interface. We added in Microsoft Windows 2000's computer management so we could manage users and iMobile Suite from the same interface.
iMobile Suite 4.0, from $59 a seat to $349 a seat. Synchrologic, (888) 345-SYNC, (770) 754-5600; fax (770) 619-5612. www.synchrologic.com or info@synchrologic.com
Extended Systems XTNDConnect Server 2.6
Extended Systems XTNDConnect Server 2.6 ran a close second to iMobile Suite in our testing. Extended Systems' offering has comprehensive PIM sync features, so if you need only synchronization and no device management, XTNDConnect is about half the price of iMobile Suite and therefore a reasonable choice.
When compared with all the other packages, XTNDConnect is the easiest to install. The server was up and running in 15 minutes. We added one user to the server for XTNDConnect with the permissions to log in as a service or as a batch job. We added other users to the Exchange server for groupware synchronization. The clients use these Exchange accounts to send and receive mail and schedule appointments.
This platform and iMobile Suite let the client remember the user name and password, but XTNDConnect gives the administrator final say over this option. If you want to make your information more secure, you can turn off the Remember Password feature for all or some of the clients. IMobile Suite doesn't offer this type of control.
IBM Lotus Notes support is especially thorough on XTNDConnect. If you have a custom Notes database, you can use XTNDConnect to synchronize these databases with your clients. Along with the support of mail and other Notes synchronization features, synchronization of your organization's Notes database applications is offered.
This product comes with a host of canned events that you can use to support your synchronization activities. The canned events helped us control the actions to be performed when synchronizing our clients and were customized using VBScript.
It also comes with sample applications that you can test to get familiar with the server. We set up a data-sync application, which used satellite forms on our Palm clients to track sales. On the Palm client, we made practice sales transactions, then synchronized the changes back to the server, which hosted a Microsoft Access database.
Scripting on XTNDConnect is done using VBScript. Every task can be coded using the administrator application on the server. When the canned events are inadequate, you can code your own events. Extended Systems provides a lot of technical support for its customers. It will send you sample VBScripts and configurations. The company even offers technical support for customers during the 30-day evaluation period of the product. Custom scripting was made easy for us with helpful wizards that we could call on throughout the configuration process.
XTNDConnect supports only Palm- and Windows CEżbased clients, but Extended Systems is planning support for the new Pocket PC 2002.
In addition to supporting Exchange and Lotus Notes groupware servers, the package supports synchronization to IMAP and POP mail systems. Extended Systems' platform gained quite a few extra points for its ease of use.
XTNDConnect Server 2.6, $95 per user, based on 1000-user volume, Extended Systems, (800) 235-7576, (208) 322-7800; fax (208) 327-5004. www.extendedsystems.com
Cornell W. Robinson III is a research associate at the Center for Emerging Network Technologies. Send your comments on this article to him at crobin01@syr.edu.
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