Version 4.2 of desktop ActiveSync, Microsoft's software for synchronizing data between PCs and Windows Mobile devices (Smartphones and Pocket PCs) is more reliable, fixes many connectivity problems, and contains a small number of new features. It's now available as a free download.

Desktop, Not Server, ActiveSync

"ActiveSync" actually refers to two technologies that work hand-in-hand. The first, desktop ActiveSync, is Microsoft's technology for synchronizing data between Windows Mobile devices and PCs over USB, serial, infrared, and now Bluetooth connections. The data can include Outlook data, such as messages, contacts, and appointments, but can also include data files, multimedia, or SQL database tables, and can even install software on the Windows Mobile device. Desktop ActiveSync also provides a feature called Desktop Pass Thru (DPT) that gives connected Windows Mobile devices TCP/IP access to the network to which the user's PC is connected.

The second technology, server ActiveSync, is a protocol for synchronizing messages, appointments, contacts, and tasks directly between mobile devices and Exchange 2003 over wired and wireless networks. Windows Mobile device users can use both types of ActiveSync together and sync certain Outlook/Exchange data types, such as contacts, directly with their PC and other data types, such as messages and appointments, with Exchange 2003. Server ActiveSync technology also has been licensed to Symbian and other device manufacturers, such as Palm and Motorola, so that they can build non-Windows Mobile devices that can synchronize Exchange data with the personal information manager software running on the devices.

The new ActiveSync version 4.2 release does not make any changes to server ActiveSync or the ActiveSync code built into the devices; it only upgrades the desktop ActiveSync running on the user's PC.

What's New?

In addition to containing many fixes that improve performance and resolve connectivity and synchronization bugs, desktop ActiveSync 4.2 adds some new features, including the following:

Windows Media Player 10 support. If the user's PC has Media Player 10, ActiveSync 4.2 supports automatic synchronization of music, video, and picture content contained in the Media Player library with storage cards in the Windows Mobile device, even when Media Player is not running on the user's PC. Content selection can be based on many types of user-defined criteria, such as specific playlists or most frequently played tracks. This feature greatly increases the appeal of Windows Mobile devices as music players.

Bluetooth support. If the Windows Mobile device and the user's PC are equipped for Bluetooth wireless connectivity and are within range of each other, ActiveSync 4.2 adds support for using Bluetooth to synchronize data and provide DPT access to the corporate network and Internet.

Contact picture synch. If a user has attached a digital image file to a contact on a Windows Mobile device, or to an Outlook XP (or later) contact on a PC, ActiveSync 4.2 will sync the image to the other device.

Improved handling of proxy servers. ActiveSync 4.2 can detect HTTP proxy servers, such as Microsoft's Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server, that sit between the user's PC and the Internet and configure DPT accordingly to provide wired access to the Internet.

Better configuration and diagnostics. Configuring ActiveSync and diagnosing errors has been problematic in the past, so Microsoft redesigned ActiveSync 4.2's user interface to make configuration easier, and it displays more information about errors should something go wrong. ActiveSync 4.2 also launches a troubleshooter that helps users resolve problems and sends error information back to Microsoft.

Resources

To download ActiveSync 4.2, go to www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7269173a-28bf-4cac-a682-58d3233efb4c&displaylang=en.

Windows Mobile 5.0 is described in "Windows Mobile 5.0 Points the Way to Device Convergence" on page 6 of the Aug. 2005 Update.

Licensing of server ActiveSync is detailed in "Symbian Joins ActiveSync Licensees" on page 13 of the May 2005 Update.