How to use Outlook Google Calendar Sync?

Outlook synchronizes with Google Calendar for free

Google used to provide an Outlook add-in, called Google Calendar Sync, that enables users to sync its Google Calendar with Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019appplication on Windows. As Google became a bigshot, this freebie was discountinued. In fact, it was not gone but was included in Google App for Work, which turned into GASMO and then G Suite.

I did not use the paid Gsuite after Google Calendar Sync and I turned away to iCloud instead. Some time later, I heard a free Outlook add-in called Outlook Google Calendar Sync aka OGCS was released. Based on my curiosity, I was trying it out and checked how good it was.

Installing and Configuring Steps

1. Download this Outlook add-in from the GitHub website. The most current version is 2.7.0 beta beside the 2.7.5 alpha. I will try it with Windows 10 and Outlook 2016 at the time of downloading and installing.

2. During software installation, there popped up a security warning and we can ignore it. After installation was complete, there would be window with several tabs for further configuration.

3. Click on Settings tab first. Select Google on the side. Click on Retrieve Calendars button.

4. When a Google OAuth window pops up, click on Allow button at bottom.

6. Then, an Authorisation Code will be passed back to OGCS. Next to Select calendar, there will appear the Google account previously selected.

7. Still under Settings tab, click on Sync Options on the side. Let's try configuring the following environment:

• Direction: Select Outlook <-> Google will make it bi-directional sync. Make sure to uncheck 
• Disable deletions and/or Confirm deletions to have both Google Calendar and Outlook to reflect entry deletion in the sync session.
• Attribute to include: Check everything except Use Google default.

8. Next, click on Application Behaviour below Sync Options. Make sure to check both boxes of Start on login and Start in tray.

9. Click on Sync tab and click on StartSync button to see if Outlook calendar entries are being synchronized to Google?

Summary after using Outlook Google Calendar Sync for a few hours: 

It took me 5 to 10 minutes to configure and test out what is what. The following points are for your reference:

Pros:

1. The summary in the console is concise telling you what you need to know. It is good.

2. The Proxy Setting feature is quite useful for users in companies with proxy security.

3. Outlook entries created while Outlook Google Calendar Sync is turned off are still being synced. This is another plus.

4. Though a checkbox of Push Outlook changes immediately is not easily noticeable but still available. The immediate sync after I created something in Outlook is a plus.

Cons:

1. Sync folder assignment on Outlook side is a bit obscure, not quite intuitive enough. It took me a while to realize that I need to define a mailbox to which invitations come in. Then, I get to define to which calendar folder synchronized entries would go.

3. The absence of an Outlook add-in in ribbon UI is a disappointment. I need to call out Outlook Google Calendar Sync console and literally click on StartSync button or call out OGCS's Sync Now from system tray to immediately sync what I just created on Google Calendar to Outlook. 

4. I don't know about you but the shortest automated sync cycle is 10 min for entries on Google Calendar to be reflected on Outlook, which is a bit too long for me.

8. Software update as beta version is a bit slow since 2.7.0 has been out there since 2016. Software maintenance is not quite well managed.

9. Outlook Google Calendar Sync only synchronizes calendar. Other Outlook sync tools of its kind, such as gSyncit, EVO Collaborator for Outlook, OggSync and Sync2, are able to additionally sync contacts, tasks and etc.

In conclusion, OGCS does its synchronizing job as an alternative of Google Calendar Sync. In term of having demands on also syncing additional data other than calendar, such as contact and task, it is not recommended. Tech support wise, all that can be done is to create a new issue on GitHub. 

How to sync Outlook calendar and contact with gmx.de, gmx.ch, gmx.at, gmx.com, gmx.us and web.de?

How to sync Outlook calendar and contact with gmx.de and web.de?

In this year of 2020, more and more jobs require people to work from home due to COVID-19 pandamic. Syncing calendar, contact and task remotely from home in order to cope with colleagues has become an issue for those who have not done this before.

Both gmx.de and web.de are popular cloud service providers in Germany. They are among the few providers that host paid or even free mail servers and keep customers’ data domestically in Germany. Ever since Snowden's incident, people start to doubt Google or Apple is able to provide data security against NSA. 

Gmx.de and web.de provide easy-to-use and decent mail, calendar, contact & task cloud service for their users. However, if you search for a solution to sync contact, calendar and task with Outlook, you will hardly find any answer even on their website search. The main reason is that Outlook does not support CalDAV and CardDAV protocol even until the recent Outlook 2016/2019.

Staffs from EVO Collaborator for Outlook is kind enough to make the synchonization possible. Yet, it is simple to configure and use. Five steps are all you need to sync your way.

1. Download and install EVO Collaborator for Outlook
2. Open Configure profile(s)
3. Click on Profile gmx.de or web.de.
4. Enter username & password in corresponding area.
5. Click Test, Apply and Quit.

GMX cloud services are available in several country code top-level domains, such as .US, .COM, .AT, .DE, and .CH. EVO Collaborator for Outlook can auto-detect e-mail address that you entered and fill in server host name for you. The following server list is for your reference:

1. Gmx.de account:
   a. carddav.gmx.net
   b. caldav.gmx.net
2. Gmx.at account:
   a. carddav.gmx.net
   b. caldav.gmx.net
3. Gmx.ch account:
   a. carddav.gmx.net
   b. caldav.gmx.ch
4. Gmx.com or gmx.us account
   a. caldav.gmx.com

Please note that GMX.COM and GMX.US accounts do not have CardDAV service available. However, whenever CardDAV becomes available, EVO staff will make it work in future upgrade.

2018.01.05

How to sync Google Calendar with Outlook 2016 & 2019?

How to synchronize Google calendar to Outlook 2016 & 2019?

In this year of 2020, more and more jobs require people to work from home due to COVID-19 pandamic. Syncing calendar, contact and task remotely from home in order to cope with colleagues has become an issue for those who have not done this before.

On July 29 of 2015, the long awaited Windows 10 was released. Two months following that, Microsoft Outlook 2016 was released on Sept. 22 of 2015. Many of us are looking for good synchronization compatibility between Google Calendar (or shall I say CardDAV and CalDAV) and Outlook. Well, apparently, Microsoft let us down.

Microsoft may have its own reason not to blend in CardDAV and CalDAV. However, I think lots of users around the globe are looking for a solution of synchronizing their contact, calendar, and task items on Google, iCloud, Yahoo, Outlook.com and many more service of the kind with Outlook 2016.

Developers such as gSyncit and EVO Collaborator for Outlook have well prepared for the launch of Outlook 2016 in a Windows 10 environment. While gSyncit released its v4.0 last August, EVO Collaborator for Outlook took a whole year to consolidate itself with compatibility vs. various cloud and on-premises platforms. Yet, EVO has announced the official release of v2.0 to welcome Outlook 2016 with the same ease of use and simplicity of configuring profiles.

If you have not used ECO before, you may refer to my old posts of how to configure contacts, calendars and tasks from various source with Outlook since steps are basically the same and simple.

2018.01.05

Outlook.com contacts not syncing with Outlook 2016 & 2019

Outlook.com contacts not syncing with Outlook 2016 & 2019

outlook.com, formerly known as hotmail

Today I was asked about this question, "Outlook.com contacts not syncing with Outlook 2016", I knew that Outlook should automatically sync with outlook.com contacts once the account is added.

However in real world, this kind of problems happened a lot in Microsoft products, don't try to call Microsoft support, You may end up with spending several hours with some dude, explaining your issue with the software again and again. I know, been there, done that! 

Resolving Outlook 2016 contacts not syncing with Outlook.com issue quickly

Since we don't have the time to explain with some dudes who don't have access to their R&D resources, why wasting time on that, just use something helpful instead.

We'd like to introduce you EVO Collaborator for Outlook. with this handy plugin, your outlook.com is just few minutes away from your Outlook 2016.

The setup is simple, I have written a tutorial for that before, please read sync outlook.com contacts and calendars with outlook here

How to sync Bitrix24 calendars, contacts and tasks with Outlook?

How to sync Bitrix24 calendars, contacts and tasks with Outlook?

My friend opened a small company and he was looking for a decent collaboration platform that comes with CRM. He found Bitrix24 is a nice solution for a starter like him since it has its own cross-platform applications or APPs for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. 

Now, he is looking for a way to sync his contacts, calendars and tasks with his newly installed Outlook 2016 on his Windows 10 machines as well as other computers installing Outlook 2007, 2010 2013 or 2019 under Windows 7 or Windows 8 in company. I suggested him to try some CardDAV & CalDAV compatible Outlook connector software plug-ins on the market because Bitrix24 is compatible with both CardDAV and CalDAV protocols. 

He found and installed several add-ins. However, he realized it is tough in finding server’s CardDAV URL and CalDAV URL. Not until he tried EVO Collaborator for Outlook, life was a lot easier because ECO is able to auto-detect the address book URL and calendar URL with a single mouse click. 

He said it is quite easy. What he did is downloading ECO from its official website, installing the outlook add-in, entering the following information and clicking on TEST button to verify configuration. That is all:

1. Server URL:
   According to Bitrix24’s support document, the URL should look like the URL in step 4.
   
   
   
   
   With ECO’s server auto-detect feature, all you need to enter is:
   
   <servername>.bitrix24.com
   
   
2. Your username and password

After the phone call, I actually tried out but I found that Bitrix24 only implements one-way synchronization from server to outlook for both address book and task.  I did some research on Bitrix24’s forum and found that Bitrix24 made this one-way sync limitation https://www.bitrix24.de/support/forum/forum5/topic435/ on purpose for their own concern. So, this one-way sync situation is normal and not an issue.

2018.01.05

Synchronize Exchange calendar with Google calendar

Synchronize Exchange calendar with Google calendar

Here is a situation:

"You like to sync your Google calendar with your company Exchange calendar for the sake of managing one calendar instead of two."

It is tough because Exchange calendar and Google calendar are following different protocols unlike CalDAV. 

There are a few third-party Outlook add-in capable of breaking the barrier and synchronizing them both into one calendar in your Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019.

Let's look at a solution from third-party. EVO Collaborator for Outlook is an outlook plugin for CardDAV and CalDAV.

Let’s look at ECO’s size, which is only 5.6MB. Amazingly, when Outlook and ECO work together, you can enable Outlook to sync both contacts and calendars of your Exchange account with Google’s CardDAV and CalDAV bi-directionally.

What are CardDAV and CalDAV?

CardDAV and CalDAV are standard protocol API by IETF's RFC for contacts and calendars. Google is using those APIs at the backend to service they customers' needs for such information retrieval.

How to Sync Google calendar with Exchange account

It is easy to work with ECO: 

1. Let’s assume that you have already configured your Exchange account which uses your default Outlook folders to store your mail, calendar, contact and task.
2. Download ECO from EVO's Official Site. (when you install it, please run it as administrator)
3. Open Outlook and click on EVO's tab (It is called command bar in Outlook 2007 and called ribbon in Outlook 2010, 2013 and 2016) at the top banner.
4. Click on Configure profile(s) and select Profile #6 with filling in your Gmail account in space below Full e-mail address or username.
5. Assign the contact, calendar and task folder under Sync options to your default Outlook folders, the same ones that are used by your Exchange account.
6. Click on TEST button and you'll see an OAUTH authentication window during the account detection. Just authorize it and continue.
7. When finished, click on Apply and Quit. Then, any newly added contacts, calendar under Gmail folder will be syncing in a bi-directional fashion. 

By the way, here is a good news. Microsoft is merging its Outlook.com into Office365 by end of 2015 and it means your outlook.com accounts are also hosted by Exchange. Thus, whether you have an Office365, hotmail, or outlook.com account, you can use the handy Outlook add-in to sync contacts, calendars, and tasks between Gmail and Exchange.

Sync Outlook with sapo.pt?

Sync Outlook with sapo.pt?

Sapo.pt is a popular cloud service provider in Portugal. It is providing decent mail, calendar, contact & task cloud service for its users. However, users are having difficulty to sync their way with Outlook for contacts, calendar and task. The main reason is that Outlook is lack of CalDAV and CardDAV protocol even until the recent Outlook 2016 or Outlook 2019.

There is a handy sync tool called EVO Collaborator for Outlook that is compatible with sapo.pt’s CardDAV and CalDAV services. It is simple to configure and use. Six steps are all you need to sync your way.

1. Download and install EVO Collaborator for Outlook.
2. Open Configure profile(s)
3. Click on Profile #15 or later as long as it is vacant.
4. In server URL space, enter:
   
   
   
   
   
   https://dav.sapo.pt 
5. Enter username & password in corresponding area.
6. Click Test, Apply and Quit.

I think EVO is amazing of blending in lots of cloud services or even paid & free mail servers into one package and it really benefits users.