Improved ActiveSync Available

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.