AOL introduced on Thursday a new sync application, AOL Sync, that will sync your AOL address book and calendar with Outlook and mobile phones. AOL has partnered with Funambol to deliver this bidirectional, over-the-air sync client. Funambol, for those who don’t know, is a popular open source synchronization solution that uses SyncML to push PIM data to mobile devices and desktop applications. Basically, it’s the poor man’s Exchange / BES. The AOL sync client supports Outlook, Outlook Express and both Windows Mobile phones and BlackBerry handsets. You will need to install the sync client on your phone or desktop, configure it to sync with the AOL servers and voila, automatic OTA bidirectional syncing. Though it is not listed as being a supported device, there is a Funambol sync client for the iPhone and for Thunderbird / Sunbird (experimental) as well. If you can get the AOL settings, it may be worth a try to see if those other platforms work, too.  If you are an AOL user, give it a try and let us know if the new client lives up to AOL’s claims.

[Via Cnet]

Read

There has been a whole lot of buzz about Funambol since the WWDC keynote, mostly touting the open-source offering as a wonderful free alternative to MobileMe. MobileMe, in case you’ve just awoken from a coma, is Apple’s sync everything everywhere solution. Syncing with MobileMe is seamless, instant and always active. You know, kind of like Exchange. So is this free Funambol offering really going to be a viable alternative to Apple’s new suite? There is an expression that almost always holds true, people: You get what you pay for. There’s a comment in the post on the other side of the read link that pretty much sums up our thoughts and experiences with Funambol quite nicely:

I played with funambol a while ago, and seriously was it rough… You pay for services like MobileMe because they’re seamless, intuitive and easy to use, not because they’re a ‘cheaper option’. Imagine what would happen if your mobile phone’s sms had the performance of Twitter.

The bright side, as mentioned above, is that Funambol is indeed open-source. While Funambol’s shaky free portal - which will only support contacts sync initially - is a possible option for those with low expectations, perhaps some developer will come along and put the Funambol sync engine to use in a more competitive and reliable offering. We shall see…

Read