Contacts & Business Contacts

[Ernie]

I just installed Office Pro 2003 and Business Contact Manager. I was under
the assumption that my Outlook Business Contacts were the same as my current
Contacts (with additional capabilities) and that I would not have to
maintain two databases. Side effects appear to include:

1. Making changes in one (new phone number, add e-mail address) do not
update to the other
2. My Pocket PC would not include business contacts.

Are the Contacts and Business Contacts two separate databases that are not
synchronized? When updating one, do I always have to update the other? If
this is the case, what are people doing to make this work?

Thanks,

Ernie

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

Correct. They are two separate databases. You don't have to update both
unless you want the information in two different places.

The ActiveSync program from Microsoft definitely cannot synchronize multiple
contacts or journal folders, which is what BCM uses. Third-party tools may
be able to do so. A forthcoming version of Intellisync will support BCM, but
the version 5.3 or earlier does not.

I have also heard of people using Pocket Contact Synchronizer, a free tool
from Microsoft, to copy contacts automatically from the BCM Business
Contacts folder to your main Contacts folder. The main Contacts folder can
be synchronized with any PDA sync tool.

 

[Ernie]

Hi, Sue,

Thanks for your quick reply! Do you consider it an undesirable thing that
the Contact list is not the source for the Business Contact list? Do you
believe Microsoft is aware of the situation and can possibly change it in a
revision or upgrade? I'm not sure how I can make use of it at all under
these circumstances!

Thanks again,

Ernie

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

I don't personally consider it undersirable, but what I think doesn't
matter, does it, if it doesn't work for you? I would not expect a change
before ver. 2.0.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Michael Maples]

Has anything changed on this? Keeping 2 copies of contacts goes against the whole principle of one place to keep information as put forth by Business Contact Manager


----- Sue Mosher [MVP] wrote: ----

I don't personally consider it undersirable, but what I think doesn'
matter, does it, if it doesn't work for you? I would not expect a chang
before ver. 2.0
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MV
Author o
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart fo
Administrators, Power Users, and Developer
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.asp

Hi, Sue
the Contact list is not the source for the Business Contact list? Do yo
believe Microsoft is aware of the situation and can possibly change it i

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

No. Nothing has changed.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Has anything changed on this? Keeping 2 copies of contacts goes against

the whole principle of one place to keep information as put forth by
Business Contact Manager.

 

[Michael Maples]

This makes BCM absolutly usless to me. I live by my handheld and must keep contact information on it. Is there a work around through another sync program. I have been waiting for BCM for a long time and now find out I can't use it

Is there an update to the pocketPC software or is this another obvious oversite by Microsoft this just pisses people off

----- Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] wrote: ----

No. Nothing has changed
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MV
Author o
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart fo
Administrators, Power Users, and Developer
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.asp

Has anything changed on this? Keeping 2 copies of contacts goes agains

the whole principle of one place to keep information as put forth b
Business Contact Manager

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I have seen no updates to ActiveSync to add multiple folder synchronization,
but that's not your only option for PocketPC, of course.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

This makes BCM absolutly usless to me. I live by my handheld and must

keep contact information on it. Is there a work around through another sync
program. I have been waiting for BCM for a long time and now find out I
can't use it.

Is there an update to the pocketPC software or is this another obvious

oversite by Microsoft this just pisses people off?

----- Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] wrote: -----

No. Nothing has changed.